Armenia cites "Minsk Group failure" among Karabakh war reasons

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Aivazian has said that the 44-day war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) was also due to the failure of the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.

Addressing a session of the parliament standing committee on foreign relations on Monday, March 29, Aivazian said the mediators were supposed to not only create a favorable atmosphere for the settlement of the issue through negotiations, but also to rule out a military solution.

"September 27 proved that they have failed their mandate in that regard," Aivazian said, according to Aysor.am.

The Foreign Minister added that Armenia is interested in re-launching negotiations within the Minsk Group format, but said "we need a strong co-chairmanship" that will manage the process instead of merely "recording the current situation."

Aivazian said after a id-March meeting with OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ann Linde in Yereva, that a final political solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is possible only within the framework of a "strong OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship".