If Azerbaijan wanted to change status quo, it would have agreed with principles suggested by Minsk Group: Shavarsh Kocharyan

YEREVAN, MAY 21, ARMENPRESS. On the request of "Armenpress" News Agency, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharyan commented on the statement of the Azerbaijani President, who spoke about the unacceptability of status quo in the Nagorno Karabakh issue.

Question: Recently the Azerbaijani President touched upon the Nagorno Karabakh issue in Austria and announced about the unacceptability of maintaining the status quo and that the change of status quo means removal of the Armenian Armed Forces from the so-called "occupied territories of Azerbaijan". How would You comment on that statement?

Answer: It's not a secret any more that the Azerbaijani authorities constantly make such statements just in order to prevent any changes regarding the status quo. If Azerbaijan really wanted to change status quo, it would have reached agreement regarding the conflict regulation principles suggested by the Minsk Group Co-Chairs and will contribute to the progress of the negotiations process, and not to ruin it, as it happened in Kazan.

Azerbaijan has but one chance to satisfy its desire for changing the status quo via passing around the negotiation format of the Co-Chairs. For that reason Azerbaijan must recognize the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and start negotiations with the NKR to eliminate the consequences of the aggression it has initiated including the present status quo.