Date set for next meeting of Azerbaijani, Armenian FMs

The date and place of the next meeting between the Azerbaijani, Armenian foreign ministers and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs has been announced – they will meet in Vienna on December 6.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov informed about this on November 30 at a joint press conference following the trilateral meeting in Baku with his Turkish and Pakistani counterparts Mevlut Cavusoglu and Khawaja Muhammad Asif.

“Substantive negotiations must be held,” said Mammadyarov. “I was very pleased with the results of the meeting with the cochairs in Moscow as we held detailed discussions. We hope for the continuation of such talks with the co-chairs.”

The last meeting of the Azerbaijani FM with the Minsk Group co-chairs was held in Moscow on November 16. Following the meeting, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry noted that it was constructive and substantial, and specific discussions were held on all the proposals on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Speaking at the press conference, Turkish FM Cavusoglu noted that his country will further stand by Azerbaijan in the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan NagornoKarabakh conflict.

He noted that during a meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs that he had in Ankara on November 29, the Turkish side called on them to be more active, more sincere and more resolute in the issue of the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“Turkey is making efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Turkey will support any formula suiting Azerbaijan in this issue,” he added.

Turkey has always supported the resolution of the ArmeniaAzerbaijan conflict based on Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and inviolability of the country’s internationally recognized borders. Turkey and Armenia severed diplomatic relations in 1993 due to occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenian armed forces and Yerevan’s claims to recognize the so-called Armenian genocide.

Pakistani FM Asif, in turn, noted that Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Turkey can work together to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Pakistan has repeatedly declared its support for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Pakistan backed Azerbaijan during and after the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh war, and it is the only country that does not recognize Armenia as a state. Pakistan also adopted a resolution strongly condemning the genocide against the civilian population of Khojaly, which was committed by the Armenian armed forces.

The Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region 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. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Until now, Armenia controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts. The efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group, which is working to find a peaceful solution to the conflict, have, unfortunately, brought no breakthrough results so far due to Armenia's reluctance to join serious constructive negotiations on the conflict settlement.