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On March 31, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian met with OSCE Minsk Group US. Co-Chair James Warlick to discuss the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Nalbandian is in Washington, D.C. as part of the Armenian Delegation to the Nuclear Security Summit, accompanying President Serzh Sargsyan.
Nalbandian pointed out to Warlick Azerbaijan’s continuous ceasefire violations, especially during recent holidays. On March 21, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs made a statement asking both sides to “strictly respect the ceasefire during the holidays of Nowruz Bayram and Easter,” and urged the sides to “create the conditions for the people of the region to celebrate these holidays in peace.” Nalbandian referenced this statement, arguing that Azerbaijan did not honor this request.
“Ignoring the appeal of the Co-Chairs and the Special Representative of the German Government for the OSCE Chairmanship to respect ceasefire during religious holidays, Baku has intensified the gross violations of ceasefire in the wake and during the Easter,” Nalbandian said. “Such provocations of Azerbaijan have become routine. The same is happening in the negotiation process. If previously Baku was undermining the negotiations through various means, including by attempting to shift the issue to other formats, now, probably witnessing the inefficiency of its steps, it has not made up anything but rejecting meetings with the Minsk Group Co-Chairs.”
Nalbandian believes this is a futile attempt by Azerbaijan to exert pressure upon the negotiation process and the Co-Chairs.
Both sides continued the conversation discussing the possibilities of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settling through exclusively peaceful means.