Armenian foreign minister to hold meeting with Azerbaijani counterpart in New York Sep. 23

The agenda of the upcoming meeting between Armenia’s foreign minister Edward Nalbandian and his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov in New York will include the issue of organizing the possible meeting of the two countries’ presidents, Nalbandian told Voice of America.

– Mr. Minister, in your speech at the Armenia-Diaspora forum you touched upon the Karabakh conflict and talked about the return of certain territories, which caused various comments. Please present more comprehensively what you meant.

– Certain quotations and comments were out of context. I talked about the three well-known principles and 6 elements contained in the statements about the NK conflict settlements of the co-chairing countries’ leaders, which, according to the co-chairs themselves, were designed and presented to the sides as one whole, and attempts to separate one principle from the others or one provision from the others will make the settlement impossible. This is what Azerbaijan has been doing for many years. As the President noted in his speech at the UN General Assembly two days ago – the important thing is the issue of Artsakh’s status. If the status issue gets a solution, then all remaining issues will be solved justly and reasonably, since all remaining issues are derivatives. I would also like to repeat what we’ve said numerous times, the solution of all these issued is only possible with the participation of Nagorno Karabakh.

– Mr. Minister, is a meeting with the Azerbaijani FM planned on the sidelines of your visit? If yes, when? And what issues will be discussed?

– Yes, a meeting is planned for September 23. The organization of a possible meeting of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan is in the agenda, and also the schedule of the upcoming regional visit of the co-chairs. These are the two issues which we’ll discuss with Mammadyarov.