Foreign Minister slams Azeri diversions at meeting with OSCE MG

July 23, 2014 - 14:47 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian met with the OSCE Minks Group Co-Chairs Igor Popov, James Warlick and Pierre Andrieu and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk during his working visit to Brussels. At the meeting, the parties continued discussions on promoting the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Armenian media reported.

In this context, the Armenian official drew the mediators’ attention to Azerbaijan’s bellicose rhetoric of the past weeks, with Baku’s statements distorting the essence and content of the negotiations. Multiple violations of ceasefire at the Armenian border and the line of contact with Nagorno Karabakh that claimed human lives, and intensification of subversive acts were also mentioned.

As the Minister stressed, Baku’s provocative steps aggravates the situation, hindering the peacemaking efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group.

“Despite insistent calls of the international community, Azerbaijani leadership continues its non-constructive and dangerous policy by persecuting and arresting proponents of reconciliation and peace on fabricated charges,” Minister Nalbandian stressed.

The official further noted that the Azerbaijani authorities are trying to take their own experience of corruption to the level of inter-state relations and coax out statements from some countries, thus undermining the progress of negotiations.

In conclusion, Nalbandian reiterated Armenia’s willingness to continue efforts for peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs also met with the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov in Brussels to discuss ways to accelerate the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, Trend reported.

“Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group will issue a statement today (July 22) concerned about new violence on the line of contact of Azerbaijani and Armenian troops,” the U.S. Co-Chair posted in his Twitter page.

“Leaving for Vienna to brief Minsk Group representatives and OSCE Secretary General on Nagorno Karabakh peace,” James Warlick tweeted.

Photo: twitter.com/tbalayan

Тренд: Глава МИД Азербайджана обсудил пути разрешения нагорно-карабахского конфликта с сопредседателями Минской группы ОБСЕ

James Warlick's Twitter Page

Asbarez. Nalbandian Warns Minsk Group about Baku

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out as result of the ethnic cleansing launched by the Azeri authorities in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions are now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.

The OSCE Minsk Group

The OSCE Minsk Group was created in 1992 to encourage a peaceful, negotiated resolution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The Minsk Group is headed by a Co-Chairmanship consisting of France, Russia and the United States. The main objectives of the Minsk Process are as follows: Providing an appropriate framework for conflict resolution in the way of assuring the negotiation process supported by the Minsk Group; Obtaining conclusion by the Parties of an agreement on the cessation of the armed conflict in order to permit the convening of the Minsk Conference; Promoting the peace process by deploying OSCE multinational peacekeeping forces.