Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry criticizes Armenian PM’s statement on Karabakh

Interfax: Russia & CIS General Newswire
September 9, 2018 Sunday 6:05 PM MSK


Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry criticizes Armenian PM's statement on Karabakh

BAKU. Sept 9

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's latest statements are
derailing OSCE Minsk Group mediators' efforts seeking settlement of
the Armenian-Azerbaijani crisis, spokesman of the Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry Khikmet Gajiyev said.

"Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's statement in Moscow that
Azerbaijan's Nagorno Karabakh Region is supposedly part of Armenia is
disregarding the norms and principles of international law, relevant
UN Security Council resolutions, and is wrecking the negotiating
process being maintained with OSCE Minsk Group's mediation," the
spokesman of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said.

"The Armenian leadership is intentionally or unknowingly issuing this
kind of statements, which are fuelling the situation, in the capital
of a co-chairing country of the OSCE Minsk Group ahead of a meeting at
the ministerial level in New York involving the mediators. This
statement also coincided in time with the OSCE secretary general's
visit in Azerbaijan scheduled to take place next week," he said.

"I would like to emphasize once again that this sort of statements
hold Armenia and its leadership fully accountable for the possible
escalation of the situation," the spokesman of the Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry said in a statement.

The unrecognized Nagorno Karabakh Republic should become part of
Armenia, Pashinyan said on Saturday.

"As to our plans for the future, I have already said that I am
contemplating Artsakh [the Armenian name of Nagorno Karabakh] as part
of Armenia. This path can include several steps, but our idea about
that is definite. There can be no doubts about that," Pashinyan said
at a meeting with Armenian businesspeople in Moscow on Saturday.

Speaking of possible concessions in Karabakh settlement, the Armenian
prime minister said that this depends on Azerbaijan's willingness to
make concessions.

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