FM comments on Azeri-suggested "expert-level peace talks"

FM comments on Azeri-suggested

PanARMENIAN.Net - Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian met the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, Igor Popov, Pierre Andre and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Andrzej Kasprzyk.

At the meeting, the parties discussed the Karabakh conflict settlement and preparations for the Paris meeting of Armenian and Azeri leaders later this month.

Nalbandian further spoke about increased Azeri ceasefire violations ahead of the meeting, in the usual Baku tradition.

The Minister further slammed Azerbaijan's non-constructive approach to peace talks as well as constant attempts to undermine the settlement. In this context the Foreign Minister mentioned the recent Azeri statement on the "readiness to start talks at expert level", with the latters including aspects Baku alone could benefit from, thus demonstrating its non-serious approach ahead of the Paris meeting.

“It is Baku’s wish that every meeting on the Karabakh conflict settlement were effective to get the process off the ground, Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said on October 15 adding that Azerbaijan is ready to start working on a “major peace agreement,” Trend reported.

As Mammadyarov noted, a number of proposals were put forth for the establishment of working groups to deal with the return of refugees, transportation and infrastructure issues.

“Azerbaijan is ready to begin such negotiations at the expert level,” the Minister said. “We expect a response from the Armenian side.”

Paris is expected to host a meeting between Armenian and Azeri leaders Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev on October 27.

Baku repeatedly expressed “readiness to ink a peace deal,” instead, undermining every attempt to reach an agreement. Thus on June 24, 2011 during conflict settlement talks in Kazan, Baku refused to sign the basic principles for conflict settlement. Instead, the Azerbaijani leader attempted to impose 10 new proposals, thus precluding the possibility of any agreement.

4  16.10.14 - Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian meets OSCE MG Co-Chairs and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk
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.

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