Russia: Hamburg meeting on Karabakh conflict not yet agreed upon

By Azernews

By Rashid Shirinov

The possibility of holding a meeting on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in Hamburg was discussed, but there is still no final agreement, said Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman Mariya Zakharova at a briefing on December 7.

"No final agreement on the meeting has been reached yet," said Zakharova.

Paris has previously proposed to hold a meeting in the format of 3+2 [three co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group and Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers] on the sidelines of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Hamburg.

Meeting of the OSCE countries Foreign Ministerial Council will take place in Hamburg on December 8- 9. Azerbaijan`s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov will attend the event.

However, Armenia hasn’t confirmed its consent yet for the 3+2 format meeting, while Baku has voiced its readiness to any contacts with Armenia, in any format. 

Minister Mammadyarov previously said that Baku backs the proposal on the meeting.

Zakharova further added that there is no ultimate confidence about the possibility of a bilateral meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Azerbaijani counterpart.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia still controls fifth part of Azerbaijan's territory and rejects implementing four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.