Meeting of Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia

Baku / 21.04.20 / Turan: On Tuesday, a video conference was held between the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia, Elmar Mammadyarov and Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, in which co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office also participated.

The talks lasted more than an hour and a half, the press service of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said.

The parties discussed the impact of the global COVID 19 pandemic and recent developments in the region.

In accordance with the joint statement adopted by the parties in Geneva on January 30 of this year, the next steps in the process of resolving the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict were considered. In this regard, it was noted that the implementation of pre-planned humanitarian measures in connection with the spread of te Corona Virus infection, as well as the meeting of Ministers and visits of the co-chairs to the region were postponed. However, it was emphasized that appropriate work was underway to prepare these measures.

It was also noted that in the context of the current global health crisis, it is important to adhere to a ceasefire and refrain from any provocations.

Azerbaijan’s position on the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains unchanged - the problem should be resolved on the basis of the norms and principles of international law and the implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions, as reflected in the UN Charter and the OSCE Helsinki Final Act.

The parties agreed to maintain contacts and resume negotiations as soon as possible.

Azerbaijan demands activation of substantive negotiations, since there is no other way out of the current situation in the region. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group are considering the possibility of advancing the peace process without military consequences, the report concludes. —06D-