Karabakh leader slams Azeri provocations at OSCE MG meeting

Karabakh leader slams Azeri provocations at OSCE MG meeting

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic President Bako Sahakyan met with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Igor Popov (Russia), Pierre Andrieu (France), James Warlick (U.S.) and other officials on Wednesday, Feb 18.

Issues related to the Karabakh conflict settlement and situation along the frontline were discussed during the meeting.

President Sahakyan noted that gross violations of the ceasefire by Azerbaijan acquired a new, more negative quality, which represented a serious threat to the peace process, the work carried out by the mediators and the maintenance of stability in the region. He added that such a policy could not have any impact on the will and determination of the Artsakh people to build a free, independent state and its strengthen its security on a continuous basis.

The NKR Foreign Minister Karen Mirzoyan, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk and other officials partook in the meeting, Central Information Department at the Artsakh President’s Office reports.

Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian received the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs - Ambassadors Igor Popov, James Warlick, Pierre Andrieu and Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Feb 17.

The meeting focused on the discussions over the Nagorno Karabakh peace process.

Minister Nalbandian called the attention of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to the fact that after the Jan 27 statement by the Co-Chairs’ and the Feb 7 joint statement by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and the Co-Chairs, Baku continued gross violations of ceasefire, provocations and unacceptable rhetoric.

Referring to Baku’s obsession by its alleged desire to draft a peace agreement, the Foreign Minister stressed, that in reality the Azerbaijani leadership aims to undermine the results of a lengthy negotiating process on Basic Principles of the Karabakh conflict settlement.

“Only when agreement on the Basic Principles is reached, and Karabakh approves it, will it be possible for Azerbaijan, Karabakh and Armenia to elaborate a comprehensive peace deal”, said Minister Nalbandian.

Referring to Baku’s attempts to present the Azerbaijani saboteurs, sentenced by the court of Nagorno Karabakh, as “innocent stray lambs”, Minister Nalbandian called them untenable. “Crimes committed by them are documented and proven, including the kidnapping, torture and brutal murder of a 17 year-old,” stressed the Foreign Minister.

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