Armenia President spokesman: No high-level meeting over Karabakh conflict planned.

YEREVAN. - The Armenian side hasn’t discussed with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs the possibility and the date of the high-level meeting on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, spokesperson for the Armenian President Vladimir Hakobyan told RIA Novosti. 

“At the present stage, the parties to the negotiation process and the Minsk Group Co-Chairs haven’t discussed the possibility and date of a high-level meeting,” Hakobyan said.

In his words, the presidents of Russia, U.S. and France, as well as the heads of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, have repeatedly stated that there is no alternative to the exclusively peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and that the withdrawal from using or threatening to use force is one of the key principles of the conflict settlement.

“Both Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh have constantly supported the given position of the co-chairing countries”, Hakobyan noted. According to him, the Russian FM Sergey Lavrov will visit Armenia in coming days. “This will be a good opportunity to continue discussions on Russia’s stance regarding the large-scale aggressive actions unleashed by Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh in the beginning of April, the war crimes committed by the former, crimes against the civilian population. It will also enable considering prospects for the negotiation process, the key essence of which is definitely the implementation of the right of the Nagorno-Karabakh people to self-determination,” the spokesperson stressed.  

Russia and personally Russian President Vladimir Putin will actively contribute to the achievement of compromise in the talks over Nagorno-Karabakh, which must begin in the coming days, Russian “Izvestiya” newspaper writes, citing the source in diplomatic circles.  According to the source, the Russian President is specifically ready to personally persuade the politicians on both sides of the need for compromise.