Artsakh wants to convoke Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ attention to provocative actions by Azerbaijan

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 3, ARMENPRESS:  It is not clear yet whether the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs will visit Stepanakert, or not at the course of the visit to the region this time. Anyway, to this point, such a meeting is not planned. If the Co-Chairs pay a visit to Stepanakert, the President of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh Bako Sahakyan will react on the most modern problems and will pay a special attention to the situation in the border and the provocative actions by Azerbaijan. Press Secretary of the President of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh  Davit Babayan stated in a conversation with “Armenpress” that according to the tradition, Bako Sahakyan will introduce not only the current situation, political and military problems, but also the position of official Stepanakert.

 “The Co-Chairs have been introduced the position of Stepanakert for many times. First of all the full format of negotiations must be restored and Stepanakert should officially participate in all stages of the negotiation process, from beginning to end.  It should be clear to everybody that there is no return to the past, regarding both status, and boundaries. We can never put our independence and security under suspect,” Davit Babayan said. He added that Stepanakert is in favor of the peaceful settlement of the conflict.

 On February 2 the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs arrived in the region. Armenpress reports, citing the twitter note of the US co-chair James Warlick that the co-chairs intend to meet with the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan during the visit. “We will meet with the presidents to find out if they are ready to make steps towards peace”, - wrote Warlick in his microblog.

As reported by the Azerbaijani APA News Agency, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs arrived in Azerbaijan. French co-chair Jacques Faure and US co-chair James Warlick arrived to Baku on February 2. On February 3 the co-chairs will meet the president and minister of foreign affairs of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev and Elmar Mamedyarov. After Baku they will visit Armenia. The situation of the settlement process of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict will be discussed at the meetings.

On January 24 the ministers of foreign affairs of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Edward Nalbandyan and Elmar Mamedyarov, met in Paris. The meeting was attended also by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk. The sides agreed on the forthcoming visit of the co-chairs to the region. They intend to organize the meeting of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev.