Protracting conflict settlement is not to parties' advantage – Armenian FM

Protracting the settlement of the Karabakh conflict does not favor any of the parties, according to Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan.

In an interview with Russia Today TV channel, the Armenian FM said that speeding up efforts to achieve the conflict settlement will be advantageous to all.

Nalbandyan said that the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders were close to settling the conflict in Paris in 2001 but Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev changed his mind at the last moment, saying that people in his country were not ready for that.

"Before settling any conflict, it is necessary to prepare people in advance. It's no use thinking about public opinion post factum. What the Azerbaijani authorities are doing now is like putting fat on fire instead of preparing people for settling the conflict and making mutual concessions," he said.

The Armenian top diplomat stressed unacceptability of resorting to violence or military operations. He said that even after war, parties face the need to return to the negotiations table.