Azeri official blasts Minsk Group co-chairs over ‘misinformation’
An Azerbaijani official has strongly criticized the
OSCE Minsk Group (MG) co-chairs brokering settlement to the
Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper Garabagh conflict, blaming them for
spreading false information about the current state of peace
talks.
Novruz Mammadov, head of the President’s Office international relations department, said Yerevan was very non-constructive during the last meeting of Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sarkisian held in Prague on May 7.
"The Armenian side was unwilling to take even a step toward a conflict settlement and once again demonstrated that it had claims to Azerbaijani territories. Nonetheless, despite the lack of mutual agreement, the co-chairs issued a statement supporting the position of the Armenian leader, and, it turns out, that of their own, without any prior consultations with the Azerbaijani president. Providing erroneous information to the US president and secretary of state, and the leaders of other states, they indicated that peace talks are allegedly going very well and the positions of the sides are drawing closer."
Following the Aliyev-Sarkisian meeting in the Czech capital, the MG co-chairs issued a joint statement claiming "significant progress" had been achieved in Garabagh settlement.
"We don’t understand what the purpose of saying all this is," Mammadov continued. "It seems to me that all this once again shows that bias toward aggressor Armenia persists and the process of defending its interests continues. On the other hand, the co-chairs are interested in this process stalling, for them to come and go on official trips and fulfill their duties, as if this is their career. Or else, it could be that Mathew Bryza [the US MG co-chairman], himself, has an interest in advancing his career, his job, and so forth, by misinforming Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. That’s the only presumption that comes to my mind," Mammadov concluded.
Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in conflict for nearly two decades. The MG, co-chaired by the United States, Russia and France, is brokering the peace process. Peace talks kicked off after a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a cease-fire in 1994, but have brought little tangible result so far. Armenia continues to occupy Upper Garabagh and seven other Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law.*
Novruz Mammadov, head of the President’s Office international relations department, said Yerevan was very non-constructive during the last meeting of Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sarkisian held in Prague on May 7.
"The Armenian side was unwilling to take even a step toward a conflict settlement and once again demonstrated that it had claims to Azerbaijani territories. Nonetheless, despite the lack of mutual agreement, the co-chairs issued a statement supporting the position of the Armenian leader, and, it turns out, that of their own, without any prior consultations with the Azerbaijani president. Providing erroneous information to the US president and secretary of state, and the leaders of other states, they indicated that peace talks are allegedly going very well and the positions of the sides are drawing closer."
Following the Aliyev-Sarkisian meeting in the Czech capital, the MG co-chairs issued a joint statement claiming "significant progress" had been achieved in Garabagh settlement.
"We don’t understand what the purpose of saying all this is," Mammadov continued. "It seems to me that all this once again shows that bias toward aggressor Armenia persists and the process of defending its interests continues. On the other hand, the co-chairs are interested in this process stalling, for them to come and go on official trips and fulfill their duties, as if this is their career. Or else, it could be that Mathew Bryza [the US MG co-chairman], himself, has an interest in advancing his career, his job, and so forth, by misinforming Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. That’s the only presumption that comes to my mind," Mammadov concluded.
Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in conflict for nearly two decades. The MG, co-chaired by the United States, Russia and France, is brokering the peace process. Peace talks kicked off after a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a cease-fire in 1994, but have brought little tangible result so far. Armenia continues to occupy Upper Garabagh and seven other Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law.*
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