Azernews.Az

BAKU – Azerbaijan is seeking "real results" from the talks on settling the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and calls on Armenia "not to drag out time", Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov has said.

He told reporters that OSCE mediators’ holding talks is "creating an appearance" that negotiations are underway.

"They are vividly interpreting this as a good sign," Azimov said. "Certainly, continuing the peace process, holding discussions is in Azerbaijan’s interest. But we have no intention to drag out time in doing so. Discussions must be substantive and effective."

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a brutal war that ended with the signing of a fragile cease-fire in 1994. About 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory has been occupied by Armenian armed forces since then. Peace talks brokered by US, Russian and French mediators through the OSCE Minsk Group have been largely fruitless so far.

According to Azimov, Baku hopes for "higher motivation" at the meetings brokered by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

"Certainly, our president, honoring Russia’s invitation, will agree to participate in such meetings, but we would like for the opposing side [Armenia] not to take advantage of our goodwill, not to drag out time. We are hopeful that the Armenian president will appreciate both our time and their own."

Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan are due to hold talks with the Russian leader’s mediation in Moscow in June or July. The meeting will be the ninth one among the three countries’ leaders.

President Medvedev last hosted Presidents Aliyev and Sargsyan in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi in early March. At the end of the meeting the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents issued a joint statement pledging to "resolve all controversial issues by peaceful means". They agreed to investigate skirmishes along the contact line of the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops with the aid of the OSCE mediators and to swiftly finalize the exchange of prisoners of war.