Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharyan (Source: Public Radio of Armenia)
YEREVAN (Public Radio of Armenia)—Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan told reporters today that the essence of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is being distorted in the negotiation process.
“Azerbaijan has adopted a policy of force in the Karabakh conflict, which began with the Sumgait massacres and continues into today. Any progress in the talks is impossible unless Azerbaijan refuses from this stance,” Kocharyan said. He added that “the international community should come to understand that the international recognition of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic is the solution.”
Referring to the statement of the OSCE Minsk Group, the Deputy Foreign Minister said “they are at the beginning of a direction.”
“The mediators are always trying to put an equation mark between the parties, but some change is obvious. According to my assessment, that’s not enough, but the change in the statements is apparent. This will further deepen, if Baku fails to return to a pragmatic field,” Shavarsh Kocharyan said.
Kocharyan, has called on Azerbaijan today ‘to return to constructive negotiations’ on the Karabakh conflict, two days before the meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents in Bern, Switzerland.
“We hope that Azerbaijan will finally return to constructive talks. Azerbaijan’s actions so far have been contrary to international law, the appeals of international peace brokers and international practice,” Kocharyan told reporters on Thursday.
The December 19 meeting of the presidents will be mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group. Sargsyan and Aliyev last met in October 2014, in Paris, France.
Source: Asbarez
Link: International Recognition of Artsakh is the Solution, Says Kocharyan