Nagorno-Karabakh official calls for serious dialogue with Azerbaijan

Commenting on James Warlick’s recent tweet sharing the OSCE Minsk Group’s expectations of serious talks with the Azerbaijani president, a spokesperson for the Nagorno-Karabakh president said he finds that the mediators should this time conduct a serious dialogue with that country.

“The negotiations have always been serious, but considering Azerbaijan’s non-constructive policies, they put the main emphasis on peace and stability, with Azerbaijan not only hindering the conflict settlement process but also violating the ceasefire, peace and stability in the region,” David Babayan told Tert.am.

He said the co-chairs’ recent joint call, directly accusing Azerbaijan of repeated breaches of peace, stemmed from the increased tension, which they consider unacceptable.  Stressing the need of serious work with Azerbaijan, Babayan said thinks that a possible surprise move would be clearly an attempt to introduce serious changes in that country’s policies.

“It is necessary to also consider the fact that this year’s Olympic Games will be held in Azerbaijan. Though it seems strange to us that such games should be conducted in a country like Azerbaijan, this too, requires additional responsibility to ensure the maintenance of stability in the region,” Babayan added.

The spokesperson warned against jumping serious conclusions, calling instead for further major developments. “Those serious negotiations may address particularly the re-establishment of the full-fledged form, i.e. – Artsakh’s full participation [in the talks],” he added.

“And if it has to do with coordinating certain provisions, that’s of course important, but it would be simply impossible to realize without reinstating the full format,” he added.

Babayan once again reiterated the intention of bringing Azerbaijan back on a constructive track. “There is simply no other option,” he noted.

As for the US co-chair’s idea that “all can benefit”, Babayan said the statement could be realistic in case Azerbaijan demonstrates the necessary willingness to revise its stance. “If the same Azerbaijan revises its approaches, abstaining from fascism and other abnormal steps, all the sides, including Azerbaijan, will really benefit, because if it finds enough strength to recognize Artsakh as a state, it will naturally rid itself of that serious problem,” he explained.