YEREVAN. – The cornerstone of the Karabakh conflict is the issue of life and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia’s acting Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said during the OSCE Ministerial Council in Milan.
He recalled that 30 years ago Karabakh managed to stand up in the face of historical injustice for the sake of self-determination, dignity and freedom. The main reason of the conflict was ignoring the fundamental principles of human rights and the force used in response to peaceful aspiration.
During 30 years, the people of Nagorno-Karabakh were determined to build their lives with dignity and strengthen democratic institutions, as opposed to the cruelty of Azerbaijan, violence and aggression, Mnatsakanyan said.
According to him, the continuation of the policy of violence, force and the threat of the use of force by Azerbaijan delays the settlement of the dispute, causing new suffering to all the peoples of the region. There is no alternative to a peaceful settlement, and the attempts to succeed by force are doomed to failure, he added.
Mnatsakanyan emphasized that Armenia’s new authorities are determined in the matter of the peaceful settlement of the conflict under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group. During meeting in Dushanbe, the Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of Azerbaijan agreed to establish a direct communication line to reduce the number of incidents.
“Yesterday, the third meeting in six months with the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan took place, and we accepted a joint statement with the heads of the delegations of the OSCE MG Co-Chairing countries,” Mnatsakanyan said, adding that the consensus was reached on the text of the statement.
According to him, the atmosphere of peace is crucial for the negotiations.
“The real efforts aimed at preparing peoples for peace, and the rejection of militaristic rhetoric and hatred are just as important,” the acting minister added.
At the same time, he stressed that approaches must find an adequate response from all OSCE countries, and the sale of offensive weapons promotes the use of force and the threats to use it.
“All countries involved should rethink their work style. Something that is presented as a “deal” is a deadly weapon for our people,” Mnatsakanyan said.
