Azerbaijani President pours criticism on OSCE Minsk Group

PanARMENIAN.Net - Azerbaijani President Ilham Alivev poured criticism on the OSCE Minsk Group over its “inactivity in resolving the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.”

According to Azeri media reports, Aliyev told his government that “Azerbaijan hopes for positive changes in the negotiation process that saw no breakthrough during 2013,” although admitted “some revival at the end of the year

“Azerbaijan demonstrates a constructive position and I hope that the international mediators will show more activity to achieve a settlement,” he said.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian earlier this week confirmed talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov and OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs in Paris in the second half of January.

Meanwhile, Trend news agency said that the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs, ambassadors Igor Popov of Russia, James Warlick of the United States and Jacques Fore of France, will next week meet with the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter to discuss the Karabakh conflict settlement.

The Co-chairs met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Dec 15 in Baku and with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on Dec 16 in Yerevan. They travelled to Nagorno Karabakh on Dec 17.

In Stepanakert, NKR President Bako Sahakyan stressed Artsakh’s full-fledged participation in the negotiations and halt of Azerbaijan’s destructive and aggressive policy as key conditions in the process.

The Co-chairs “encouraged the sides to refrain from further actions that could increase tensions, and to work to maintain an atmosphere conducive to progress at the negotiating table.”