Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian has confirmed he will be meeting Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov within the framework of the 2017 OSCE Ministerial Council in Vienna.
Speaking at a joint press conference visiting Foreign Minister of Brazil, Aloysio Nunes Ferreira, Edward Nalbandian said the exact date has not yet been set, but the meeting is expected to take place between December 6 and 8.
As for statements from Baku on concrete expectations from the talks, Minister Nalbandian said: “The Minsk Group co-chairing countries urge on the highest level to refrain from non-constructive, maximalist approaches.”
Speaking about Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s upcoming visit to Armenia, Minister Nalbandian said the visit will first of all be dedicated to the 25th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations, but an important issue on the agenda will be the Nagorno Karabakh issue. He said the visit will also provide an opportunity to discuss a broad range of issues on bilateral agenda, implementation of the agreements reached on the level of the Presidents of the two countries.
Asked whether Lavrov is coming with new proposals, Minister Nalbandian said “Offering something new in this settlement process is very difficult. A number of working documents have been discussed over years, but the basis of the negotiations remains unchanged.”
“If Azerbaijan shows more respect for the calls of the international community, broader perspectives will open up for furthering the negotiation process and achieve results,” Minister Nalbandian stated.
“On this particular issue, we consider that the conflict should be solved within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship format. To reach a final settlement, it’s necessary to respect the ceasefire.