Tuesday, June 28 2016 10:56

 There are certain formats for the settlement of Nagorno- Karabakh conflict, official representative of Russia's foreign ministry Maria Zakharova stated at the briefing on June 28 answering to the question what status of Nagorno-Karabakh Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev meant in his statement. 

"We consider that the issue of Karabakh settlement has its format of discussions. We also realize that this issue arises interest and needs to be commented. But there is difference between informing and using public space for one's own interest", Zakharova mentioned. 

She recalled that on June 20 a meeting was held between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan under the mediation of the Russian leader. According to the official representative of the Russian foreign ministry the meeting was efficient and the experts have confirmed that and by its results a statement was spread in which the discussed issues and reached agreements were presented. 

"It is important to maintain the reached positive in order to implement it in concrete steps. There are issues which should be hushed up as the diplomats and experts should work on them", she thinks. According to her today it is important to do everything to bring the settlement of the Karabakh problem into a real framework. 

Zakharova also informed that Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov will leave today for France. "On June 29 the Russian minister will meet with his French counterpart with whom he will discuss the ways for the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. They will exchange opinions related to the results of the Vienna meeting in May and Saint Petersburg meeting in June" the official representative of the Russian foreign minister summarized. 

Earlier Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev during the meeting with the servicemen touching upon the determination of Nagorno-Karabakh's status stated that the issue should be settled "within Azerbaijan's territorial integrity". "Nagorno Karabakh will never be independent and there will never be a second Armenian state on this territory. This is the main issue. As for Nagorno-Karabakh status it is the issue of further discussions. Of course, a certain status may be given to it. There is Nakhijevan Autonomous Republic within Azerbaijan. In Europe and other countries there is efficient experience and various statuses. But this status should not violate territorial integrity of our state, Aliyev summarized. 

Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, James Warlick of the United States of America, and Pierre Andrieu of France) call on the sides to honour the agreements which were reflected in the Joint Statements of the 16 May summit in Vienna and the 20 June summit in St.  Petersburg." "We urge Azerbaijan and Armenia to remove all remaining obstacles to expanding the mission of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk.  We also urge progress in substantive talks and on a proposal to establish an OSCE investigative mechanism. We will continue our engagement with the sides to advance all of these outcomes from the last two meetings between the Presidents," says the statement posted on the OSCE's official website.  To note, in Vienna, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev reiterated their commitment to the ceasefire and the peaceful settlement of the conflict. To reduce the risk of further violence, they agreed to finalize in the shortest possible time an OSCE investigative mechanism. The Presidents also agreed to the expansion of the existing Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson in Office.  However, right after the Vienna meeting, Baku stated that it did not sign the joint document. Nevertheless, during the meeting in St.  Petersburg, the provision about expansion of the OSCE CiO Personal Representative's office was reaffirmed, however, the provision about investigative mechanisms was not made a point of.  Unlike the Vienna meeting, the results of the St. Petersburg meeting were welcomed by not only Yerevan.