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The only expectation from the upcoming meeting of Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliev, in Bern on December 19 is to see if it will be possible to bring the Azerbaijani authorities into a real field or completely different actions will be needed, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharyan said in response to a reporter’s question during a briefing after the government session today.   

“I think  the only expectation from the upcoming meeting consists in bringing Azerbaijan into a real field at last since the actions of the Azerbaijani authorities contradict international law, the mediators’ calls, and international practice in general. So we will be able to see soon if it will become possible to bring Baku’s leadership into a field of reality or completely different actions will be needed,” S. Kocharyan stressed. 

In response to reporters’ remark that the latest statements of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs resemble an ultimatum by nature, and when asked if any crucial developments could be expected, the deputy foreign minister replied: “As a rule, the mediators try to put the sign of equality between the sides, but changes are already evident. The addressee is clearly visible in the statements. I think this will deepen even more if Baku fails to come to a real field in the end”.

As regards the escalation of the situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan state border and the line of contact between the armed forces of Karabakh and Azerbaijan, Shavarsh Kocharyan noted that Baku is also escalating the situation in the diplomatic sphere by resorting to distortions in international law and during the talks.

“In other words, the positions taken by Azerbaijan, be it in the power or diplomatic field, are completely in line with each other. Moreover, Baku initially conducted a strong-arm policy on the Karaback conflict such as Sumgait massacres, and it has not abandoned that policy until now”.

In his words, as long as official Baku takes such actions, no progress can be expected in the negotiating process.

Within the international community, the idea concerning the path of Nagorno Karabakh Republic’s international recognition should ripen, he said.

As was reported, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan will pay a working visit to Switzerland on December 18. A meeting of Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan with the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs is scheduled to take place in Bern on December 19.