Azerbaijan regularly makes attempts to ignore ceasefire agreement – FM Nalbandian
Azerbaijan regularly makes attempts to ignore the ceasefire agreement and even question the validity of that agreement, Armenian FM Edward Nalbandian told the Israeli ITV24.
“Concerning the ceasefire violations, and by the way this is also the position of the three Co-Chair countries, so of the international community, including Armenia, that we have to respect the trilateral ceasefire agreements reached between Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan and Armenia in 1994-1995 without time limitations, three agreements about the ceasefire and about the consolidation of the ceasefire. Azerbaijan is always trying not to respect ceasefire agreements, and even to put under the question that those agreements are in force.
This is the difference between our position and the position of Azerbaijan. Even more, the international community through three co-chairs come up with the proposals to create investigation mechanism of violations of the ceasefire agreements. Armenia supports the proposal on the creation of mechanism of investigation of ceasefire violations which could serve as a mechanism of prevention. Azerbaijan is rejecting to creation of this mechanism, so the position of the three Co-Chair countries, of course they are mediators and could not always express their opinion about it openly and publicly. Nevertheless, they are always saying that the side, which is rejecting to create this mechanism of prevention takes the responsibility for all the violations of ceasefire”, Nalbandian said.
The Armenian Foreign Minister added that Armenia never asks its friendly, partner countries to support Armenia against anybody and including against Azerbaijan.
“On Nagorno-Karabakh issue our expectation is to support and to be in line with the position of the international community. The international community gave a mandate to the three co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group- the United States, Russia and France – to mediate the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement. This is the unique situation that the United States, Russia and France, on the level of the Presidents of those countries, adopted five statement on how the conflict could be resolved in a very detailed way with concrete principles and concrete elements elaborated as an integrated whole. And Armenia’s position is in line with the position of the Co-Chair countries, so with the position of the international community”, the Minister said.
He emphasized that the position of the international community is expressed in the five statements of the three Co-Chair countries’ presidents, and it’s very clearly said that the final status of the Nagorno-Karabakh has to be decided by the free expression of will of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, which will have an internationally legally binding force, including for Azerbaijan. This is the position of the international community and Armenia is expressing support to this position, but Azerbaijan doesn’t.
