Friday, December 9 2016 23:52

ArmInfo. Official Baku has responded to the statement made by the Foreign Ministers of the OSCE MG co-chairing countries. 

"The December 8 statement by the MG co-chairing countries reaffirms  that the current situation is unacceptable and dangerous, and at any  time can lead to an escalation, it also envisages the steps that must  be taken for a gradual settlement of the conflict, the first of which  is the liberation of districts adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh region  and ensuring the return of forcibly displaced persons to their native  lands. The Azerbaijani side has repeatedly stated that the unlawful  presence of Armenian Armed Forces in Nagorno Karabakh remains the  main reason of tension in the conflict zone and is the major obstacle  to a political solution", Hikmat Hajiyev, Spokesman for Azerbaijan's  Foreign Ministry stated today, APA reports. 

At the same time he stressed that April events have once again  demonstrated the inadmissibility of the status quo. "The  international community, particularly the OSCE MG co-chairing  countries have repeatedly stated the inadmissibility and  non-sustainability of the status quo in Karabakh conflict. He pointed  out that the first step to change the status quo is the withdrawal of  Armenian troops. Baku appreciates the substantive high-level talks in  Vienna, especially in St. Petersburg, as a positive step in the right  direction, noted the ministry spokesman.

"As mentioned in the co-chairs' statement, Azerbaijan now is in favor  of resolving the conflict and restoring peace in the region through  substantive negotiations on the basis of the working proposals on the  agenda," said Hajiyev. "However, Armenia, in order to avoid  substantive negotiations, puts forward the conditions and reasons,  avoids meetings, undermines the agreements reached in Vienna and St.  Petersburg, escalates the situation on the frontline and pursues a  policy of disrupting the peace process", Hajiyev said. 

At the same time he stressed that the OSCE Minsk Group (MG)  co-chairing countries should take the necessary measures to ensure  Armenia's constructive participation in the negotiations on the  settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. 

To note, the Heads of Delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair  countries - Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov,  Secretary of State of the United States John Kerry, and Foreign  Minister of France Jean- Marc Ayrault - issued a joint statement on  Dec 8. The statement reads, "We call on Baku and Yerevan to honor the  agreements reflected in the Joint Statements of the 16 May Summit in  Vienna and the 20 June Summit in St.  Petersburg.  We welcome the  sides' progress in implementing the exchange of data on missing  persons under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red  Cross.  We urge the parties to remove all remaining obstacles to  expanding the mission of the Personal Representative of the OSCE  Chairperson-in-Office and to make progress on a proposal to establish  an OSCE investigative mechanism.  The proposals should be implemented  together with the immediate resumption of negotiations on a  settlement.  We would like to reiterate our call to the leaders of  Armenia and Azerbaijan to demonstrate flexibility and to return to  the negotiation table with the firm aim of moving toward a  sustainable peace on the basis of the current working proposals.   Unless progress can be made on negotiations, the prospects for  renewed violence will only increase, and the parties will bear full  responsibility."