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The pattern of refusal by Azerbaijan to honor prior agreements seriously questions Baku’s credibility as a negotiating partner in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The Foreign Minister of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian, noted about the above-said in his address at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece.

“The statement of the [OSCE Minsk Group] Co-Chairs referred to the October 16 Geneva Summit that took place after about sixteen months’ interval in the meetings on the highest level,” he stated, in particular. “For the first time in about four years at the Geneva Summit it was possible to adopt together with the Co-Chair countries, although quite brief, a joint statement. This joint statement reflected what Armenia has been long advocating for: to take additional steps to reduce tensions on the Line of Contact. These steps have been identified in the statements made at the Vienna and St. Petersburg Summits of 2016 and were continuously rejected by Azerbaijan. It raises a question: how it would be possible to reduce tensions if Azerbaijan rejects to confirm its commitment to the 1994-1995 ceasefire agreements? How it would be possible to reduce tensions if Azerbaijan rejects to implement the establishment of the mechanism for the investigation of ceasefire violation? The Geneva statement also stressed the necessity to intensify the negotiation process, and this too has always been strongly advocated by Armenia.

“In their last statement, the Co-Chairs once again urged to accept the expansion of the existing Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and emphasized the necessity of implementation of other decisions adopted during the Summits in Vienna and St. Petersburg in 2016.

“Azerbaijan pretends as if the agreements reached during the previous Summits are preconditions put forward by the Armenian side. Armenia has not used preconditions, but that does not mean that the reached agreements should not be implemented. The Co-Chairs’ statement at the Ministerial Councils in Hamburg and Vienna proved that the Azerbaijani attempts to reject the implementation of the agreements reached at the Vienna and St. Petersburg Summits are doomed to failure. The pattern of refusal by Azerbaijan to honor prior agreements seriously questions Baku’s credibility as a negotiating partner.

“The Co-Chairs encouraged the Parties to avoid the unnecessary politicization of the important humanitarian steps. For many years Azerbaijan has been refusing to implement confidence building measure, both in humanitarian and military spheres. After Paris Summit of October 2014 Baku has claimed again that the confidence building measures could be possible to implement only after the conflict is resolved. However, it is clear that after the settlement there will not be equally high demand for confidence building measures. Even if Azerbaijan gives agreement to a any confidence building measure then as a rule Baku transforms it to the instrument of confidence destroying propaganda.

“The Co-Chairs reiterated their commitment to mediating activities to promote compromises on the working proposals submitted to the parties. These proposals are well known and are reflected in the five statements of the presidents of the Co-Chair countries issued since 2009. The core of these proposals offers a package deal that includes the future determination of the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh through a legally binding expression of will of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh.

“I would like to once again reiterate Armenia’s firm commitment to the exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict based on the proposals of the Co-Chairs. There is no alternative to the negotiation process.

“It is evident that what has been proposed by the Co-Chairs and supported by Armenia has been rejected by Azerbaijan and this is the main reason that hinders the advancement of the peace process.

“An agreement was reached by the initiative of the Co-Chairs to organize a meeting between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs in the second part of January. As always we are going to such kind of meeting with the constructive approach.

“If Baku abides to the calls of the Co-Chairs to strictly respect the ceasefire, implements previously reached agreements, reiterates its adherence to the principles of the conflict resolution proposed by the Co-Chairs and constructively engages in the negotiations that will pave the way to move the peace process forward and change the status-quo.”

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