YEREVAN. – Azerbaijan is annoyed that a very simple thing has been stated: any settlement of the Karabakh conflict implies that Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) cannot be part of Azerbaijan.

Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan noted about the aforesaid to reporters, after Thursday’s Cabinet session of the government of Armenia.

“uproar has begun about it in Azerbaijan,” he added. “But when Baku questions the independence of the Republic of Artsakh, they have forgotten that the NKR [Nagorno-Karabakh Republic] and Azerbaijan have both become independent on the same grounds. It was still during the USSR era, according to the USSR law, and with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Both of them are equal.”

“The obstacle to [Karabakh peace] negotiations is Azerbaijan,” added the Armenian deputy FM. “When your adversary forces you,  says ‘either everything as I want or war,’ then it’s natural; you can’t give in.”

Also, Shavarsh Kocharyan said the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs have noted that a proper foundation is needed for achieving progress in the negotiations.

“The foundation is trust between the parties, and for which it is indispensable that Azerbaijan fulfills its international commitment,” he added, in particular.