FM: Preconditions for Nagorno-Karabakh peace talks are unacceptable
By Rashid Shirinov
The imposition of precondition by the Armenian president for beginning of substantive negotiations over the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a deliberate disruption of talks, a boycott and blackmail.
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Hikmat Hajiyev told this Spanish Efe agency on March 15 in response to recent statements by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan.
“It is unacceptable to impose a precondition for beginning of substantive talks and, in general, it is contrary to all the basic documents on the settlement of the conflict,” Hajiyev said.
Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan laying territorial claims on its South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.
Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.
The spokesman noted that Armenia has been evading all meetings since June 2016. “Armenia’s foreign minister openly limited his participation in Hamburg and Munich meetings to a dinner hosted by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs in honor of the two countries’ ministers,” said Hajiyev.
“Armenia’s refusal of substantive talks is accompanied with constant political and military provocations, military adventures and bellicose statements by Armenia’s military and political leadership, pre-election manipulation of the domestic political environment, strengthening of its military capabilities and conduct of military exercises in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan and attempts to change the demographic situation in those territories,” Hajiyev said.
All this clearly shows that Armenia is pursuing a policy of annexing the occupied Azerbaijani territories, spokesman noted, adding that Azerbaijan is ready for substantive talks over the settlement of the conflict.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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