YEREVAN. – Objective of the meeting, which was held in Paris with Azerbaijani FM Elmar Mammadyarov, was to return Azerbaijan to constructive talks, Armenian FM Edward Nalbandian stated Monday during the budget discussions at the National Assembly.  

In his words, this meeting was an initiative of the OSCE Minsk Group because, during the previous summits, Azerbaijan rejected all the proposals which the Co-Chairs made toward settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. 

“Azerbaijan was rejecting the efforts to move the negotiation process forward, [and] it was breaking down the negotiation process. The most recent shameful deal, in connection with [Ramil] Safarov’s extradition, was yet another blow to the negotiation process. Several days after the Safarov case, Armenia announced that it is determined to continue with the talks. And if there is a party that does not wish to continue with the talks, that is the Azerbaijani party. This was the reason why the Co-Chairs initiated this meeting,” Nalbandian said.        

According to Armenia’s FM, there are some changes in the international community's positions in the past two months. “There is no country, an organization that did not severely criticize and expressed its resentment over this move [that is, Safarov’s pardon in Azerbaijan]. Solely one thing has not changed. That is, Armenia’s and the Co-Chairs’ shared desire to continue the negotiation process and to compel Azerbaijan for a peaceful settlement with respect to the [Nagorno-Karabakh Republic] NKR,” Edward Nalbandian said.