Armenia: Minsk Group can’t make Azerbaijan not fireJuly 11, 2018 - 16:43 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Deputy Armenian Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan has said that Azerbaijan, and not the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, is to blame for the lack of progress in the process of the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. According to him, the sides need to have mutual trust to reach some progress. “The minimum base for confidence requires the parties to not shoot [at each other],” Kocharyan told reporters on Wednesday, July 11, according to Aysor.am. Kocharyan also stressed that the Minsk Group co-chairmanship can’t force Azerbaijan to refrain from opening fire as the mediators have no such mandate. The co-chairs, he said, are only mandated to bring the positions of sides closer to each other and ensure that hostilities do not resume. The Deputy Foreign Minister cited Azerbaijan as the main obstacle to Artsakh’s (Karabakh) return to negotiations, adding that Baku thus demonstrates that it doesn't seek progress in the talks. Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said earlier that Armenia has always been and continues being a party to the Karabakh conflict. According to him, the voice of Karabakh is vital, and Armenia is committed to finding a peaceful settlement through a negotiating process. Mnatsakanyan is set to meet his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov in Brussels on Wednesday. Top stories The Cabinet of Ministers decided on Thursday, November 9 to allocated AMD 120 million to arrange the gathering. Michael Roth believes sanctions must be put on the table after Baku‘s ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Yerevan City Council has elected Tigran Avniyan from the ruling Civil Contract as the mayor of the Armenian capital. The Armenian Parliament on Tuesday, October 3 voted to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Partner news | Turkey extends military presence in Azerbaijan The Turkish parliament has adopted a bill submitted by Recep Tayyip Erdogan to extend the mandate of Turkish troops. Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills U.S. doesn’t see Russia as contributing to peace in Caucasus Patel made the remarks when asked about the implications of Russia’s withdrawal of peacekeepers from Karabakh. Up to 1% cashback when shopping on Wildberries with IDBank cards IDBank is launching an exclusive campaign on Wildberries for online shopping enthusiasts. |