Thursday, September 15 2016 15:13

ArmInfo. In the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, the talks to strengthen the ceasefire and implement the arrangements made in Vienna and St. Petersburg are prioritized unlike the talks on the comprehensive settlement of the  conflict. Acting Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan told a  news conference on September 15 when commenting on any progress in  the NK peace process. In his words, it is hard to speak of any  progress until the given arrangements are implemented. 

"During the recent years we have discussed a big variety of documents  and proposals. However, only one document - the Madrid Principles -  was approved by two of the three parties to the conflict, though as a  basis for talks. Nagorno Karabakh has not approved that document," he  recalled.  As for the statement by U.S. co-chair of the OSCE Minsk  Group, Ambassador James Warlick about the territories in exchange for  status of NKR, Shavarsh Kocharyan said the Madrid Principles gave  Baku time but it failed to use it. 

"Warlick said nothing new. He just repeated what the Madrid  Principles say i.e. mutual concessions including the issue of the  territories and the status. After the April aggression by Azerbaijan,  it is time to think hard of the basis for talks. Once, the Armenian  side's concession within the Madrid Principles was the postponement  of the referendum in Nagorno Karabakh. The OSCE MG mediators  explained that postponement with the fact that Baku needs time to  prepare the people for the situation when Karabakh cannot be part of  Azerbaijan. However, they used that time for the opposite goal. This  means that it is necessary to revise all the previous agreements," he  said.

To recall, the Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia met in  Saint Petersburg on June 20 2016 at the behest of Vladimir Putin.   Following the consultations, the presidents of Russia, Armenia and  Azerbaijan adopted a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to  normalizing the situation on the line of contact and giving their  approval to an increase in the number of OSCE observers working in  the conflict zone. The joint statement also expresses the parties'  commitment to putting in place the conditions required for steady  progress in negotiations on a political settlement to the conflict.   The presidents made a point of their regular contacts on Karabakh and  agree to continue them in such format as addition to the efforts by  the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs who were invited to the final stage of  the meeting in St. Petersburg.