Interfax, Russia
January 25, 2014 Saturday 4:16 PM MSK
Armenia sees Azerbaijan’s actions as obstructing achievement of peace
on Nagorno-Karabakh
YEREVAN. Jan 25
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, meeting with Azeri
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
in Paris on Friday, brought up the issue of escalation of tensions at
the Armenian-Azeri border and at the contact line between the Azeri
and Armenian armed forces in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“Nalbandian drew the co-chairs’ attention to gross violations of the
truce, militant statements by the Azeri leadership, and territorial
claims on Armenia, which are obviously provocative in nature and deal
a serious blow to the negotiating process,” the Armenian Foreign
Ministry told Interfax.
“The Armenian foreign minister pointed out that such actions reduce
the prospects for settling the conflict and achieving peace and ignore
numerous calls by the leaders of the Minsk Group countries to avoid
statements and actions that could lead to the escalation of tensions
in the region,” the ministry said.
Nalbandian also stressed the importance of putting into practice the
OSCE Minsk Group chairs’ proposals on bolstering the ceasefire regime
as a possible mechanism against provocations.
During the meeting, which took place on Friday, the Azeri and Armenian
foreign ministers discussed further steps to promote the
Nagorno-Karabakh peace process.
They also agreed on the OSCE Minsk Group’s visit to the region in the
first half of February.
The Azeri Foreign Ministry said earlier in its statement that “the
restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is the foundation of
negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.”
“Mammadyarov clearly outlined Azerbaijan’s position by noting that the
sooner the Armenian armed forces leave the occupied territories of
Azerbaijan, the sooner the conflict can be settled in compliance with
international law,” it said.
va