Armenia FM: Azerbaijan is focused on resolving Karabakh issue by military means

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian, spoke with the International Affairs magazine of Russia.

In his words, it is not right to describe the Karabakh-Azerbaijani conflict as an ethnic and religious clash.

“Albeit, Azerbaijan continues the perilous attempts to give an interreligious nature to the problem.

“In 2014, when the 20th anniversary of the signing of the ceasefire agreement between Artsakh [i.e. Nagorno-Karabakh], Azerbaijan, and Armenia was completed, the Azerbaijani side sharply increased the ceasefire violations,” Nalbandian said, and added: “This led to a sharp aggravation of the situation, [and] an unprecedented number of victims from all sides of the conflict.”

In his words, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs expressed serious concern to Azerbaijan, and in connection with its actions of sabotage on its line of contact with Karabakh and border with Armenia.

“But Azerbaijan manifests an utter contempt to the [peace] initiatives by the internationally mandated intermediaries.

“The Azerbaijani side, to create an illusion of negotiations, attempts to present its own perceptions as the co-chairs’ proposals,” the Armenian FM stressed, in particular.

Nalbandian also noted that Azerbaijan has focused on resolving the Karabakh issue by military means, and with the “potentials” it seems to think it has.

“[But] Armenia, jointly with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, will continue the efforts toward a solely peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict,” Edward Nalbandian noted, and added: “There is no alternative to the negotiation process.”