Nagorno Karabakh eager to launch direct, real dialogue with Azerbaijan

STEPANAKERT, JULY 6, ARMENPRESS. Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) is most interested in dialogue with Azerbaijan, but this should meet some standards, the Nagorno Karabakh Foreign Minister Sergey Ghazaryan told reporters on July 6.

Negotiations conducted under pressure cannot be considered neither negotiations nor dialogue, he said.

There can be no dialogue as long as the Lachin Corridor is blocked, Ghazaryan added.

“We’ve been receiving various offers on organizing such meetings from representatives of various countries, and international organizations. But there are some elements that should be taken into account. Such meetings took place on February 24 and March 1 with mediation of Russian peacekeepers in their deployment base. Technical issues were discussed during that meetings, but the Azerbaijani side entirely distorted the meaning of the meetings, misrepresenting it as the launch of talks on reintegration,” Ghazaryan said, noting that this was followed by the March 5 ambush when Azeri troops shot dead three police officers in Nagorno Karabakh.

“We firmly believe that negotiations conducted under pressure cannot be called dialogue or negotiations. As long as the road is closed there won’t be dialogue in such conditions. The other side must also show that it is ready for dialogue, but if they block the road, how should we understand that the Azerbaijani side is ready for dialogue? Regular discussions are taking place on a new dialogue. The Artsakh side has numerously conveyed to the Azerbaijan side offers to meet through the Russian peacekeepers, but the offers were turned down by the Azeri side itself,” Ghazaryan said.

The Lachin Corridor must be completely unblocked and essential goods must be supplied in order to see a change in Azerbaijan’s approaches, he said.