Azerbaijani, Armenian FMs discuss Karabakh in Krakow

Another round of talks to find a peaceful solution to the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was held at the initiative of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs in the Polish city of Krakow on January 18.

Another round of talks to find a peaceful solution to the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was held at the initiative of the OSCE Minsk Group cochairs in the Polish city of Krakow on January 18.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov first had talks with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs – Andrew Schofer (the U.S.), Stephane Visconti (France), Igor Popov (Russia) – and Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s Spokesman Hikmat Hajiyev tweeted.

After this meeting, Mammadyarov, together with the co-chairs and Kasprzyk, met with Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

During both meetings, the sides discussed the negotiation process on the settlement of the protracted Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Azerbaijan stands for substantive and logical talks for settlement of the conflict, Hajiyev tweeted.

During the previous meeting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian FMs, which was held in Vienna on December 6, 2017, the sides held intensive and concrete discussions on the existing proposals in connection with the settlement of the conflict. Mammadyarov called the meeting 'positive and constructive'.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including NagornoKarabakh 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.

While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign state with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years.

Until now, Armenia rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.

Azerbaijan has many times stated it is ready to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Armenia by peaceful means and through direct, substantive negotiations. However, Armenia is obviously interested not in putting an end to the conflict, but in preserving the inadmissible status quo in NagornoKarabakh for as long as possible.