YEREVAN, DECEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. In 2019 major change in the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is less probable, expert on Azerbaijani studies Taron Hovhannisyan told a press conference in ARMENPRESS, adding that the leadership in Armenia is new, and the process on examining the negotiation process is still underway.

“In other words, we have not yet reached the main negotiations. The only discussions in 2019 will be directed for reducing tension in the border. I think the Armenian side must continue its position regarding Artsakh’s return to the negotiation table, whereas Azerbaijan is trying to bypass this issue”, the expert said.

Commenting on Azerbaijani foreign minister Elmar Mammadyarov’s statement on ensuring the security of Artsakh-Armenians and giving them right to high-level self-governance, the expert said this is unconstructive approach and has provocative nature.

“Such statements are not something new, they have been made previously as well. The fact that Mammadyarov says ‘they will treat like the remaining minorities’, in my opinion, is another provocative statement. We can clearly state that none of minorities there uses any right, we even cannot talk about their security issue. All minorities have always been under pressure there. As for Armenians, we have seen Azerbaijan’s policy on Artsakh, the massacres in Sumgait, Baku. Even in case of the highest status there is no guarantee that nothing will threat the population of Artsakh”, he said.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan