Nalbandian Condemns Baku\’ Provocation Ahead of Hamburg Meeting

YEREVAN — Armenia’s Foreign Ministers Edward Nalbandian has accused Azerbaijan of impeding progress in the peace talks by making “maximalist statements” on the Karabakh settlement and refusing to take confidence-building measures that were agreed by the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents at their last two meetings held in May and June.

Nalbandian also pointed to large-scale military exercises launched by Azerbaijan this week. He portrayed them as further proof that Baku is “again escalating the situation” on the Karabakh frontlines.

The Foreign Minister said he will meet with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs on the sidelines of the OSCE Ministerial Council session in Hamburg December 8-9, but did not confirm the meeting with Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

“Of course, we are ready to participate in meetings, but everything will depend on the developments before Hamburg, because, as a rule, Azerbaijan aggravates the situation in the conflict zone before meetings, and has now declared about large-scale military actions that will involve the whole potential of the Armed Forces – 60 thousand troops, tanks, missiles, aviation, etc. This is an obvious violation of the Vienna document,” Minister Nalbandian said.

“Baku has been refusing to call the agreements reached at the Vienna and St. Petersburg summits to life. Moreover, it has been doing the utmost to prevent their implementation. Those who had doubts that Azerbaijan can resort to an abrupt aggravation of the situation, got clear proofs in early April, when Azerbaijan unleashed large-scale military actions,” Minister Nalabndian said.