For the first time the Minsk Group Co-Chairs pointed Azerbaijan was the violator of the ceasefire regime by opening fire the first, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian stated at a press conference with the OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier on Monday, commenting on the OSCE Minsk Group recent statement on ceasefire violation incidents http://www.osce.org/minsk-group/318171.
Asked whether the statement, containing targeted messages to Azerbaijan may keep Baku from further ceasefire violations, Minister Nalbandian noted Azerbaijan opposes to the establishment of the investigation mechanism into the ceasefire violation incidents for the same reason – not to allow the Co-Chairs and participant to the mechanism to identify the violator and the side that opened fire the first.
“It is clear even without an investigation mechanism, the latest statement [of the Minsk Group] came to show that as well,” noted Nalbandian, adding previous statement by the Co-Chairs also targeted Azerbaijan though indirectly.
The minister recalled calls for avoiding to escalate the situation in the region, to reiterate the commitment for the peaceful resolution of the conflict, refrain from criticizing the Co-Chairing states and respect the mandate of the mediators, refuse from attempts to transfer the conflict settlement to other platforms, agree to the establishment of the investigation mechanism, etc.
Nalbandian was also asked to express position on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s recent claim that Karabakh conflict should be settled within territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
“My position to that claim is the same as to other assertions from the same speech, alleging Azerbaijan is a global center of multiculturism, its respect to all fundamental rights and freedoms, human rights, it is a center of tolerance, serving example to others and other absurd statements of these series,” Nalbandian said.
“The international community has long been stressing the importance of preserving the indivisibility of the principles of non-use of force, territorial integrity, equality of the people and their right for self-determination, which are reflected, in particular, in five joint statement by the Heads of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairing countries.” added Nalbandian.