Halting the process of ratification of Turkey-Armenia protocols in its parliament, Armenia is concerned of the complete impasse that talks with Turkey came into. Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan has criticized Turkey and challenged Azerbaijan during a meeting with youths from Armenian diaspora.
Meeting with members of Miasin movement and Return Home program, Armenian President asked to comment over the statements of Turkish leader that Armenia will be affected negatively if it refuses Turkey’s hand.
Claiming that Turkish officials’ statements do not reflect the truth, Sarksyan said, “The whole world urges Turkey to demonstrate political will in ratifying Protocols, however Ankara turns a deaf ear, calling on Armenia to show political will. We never rejected Turkey’s hand for peace. In fact, there has never been such hand. Despite Turkish authorities’ statements, Armenia is ready to accept any expression of friendship. We showed political will and now we wait for Turkey to show political will.”
"Now It's Azerbaijan's Turn to Decide on Its Position"
Armenia is ready to use proposals put forward in St Petersburg as a basis for talks on a Karabakh peace settlement, President Serzh Sargsyan has said.
The proposals were made at a meeting in St Petersburg between the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents, mediated by Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev, in June.
"Armenia is ready to use the St Petersburg proposals as basis for negotiations; now it's Azerbaijan’s turn to decide on its position," Serzh Sargsyan said yesterday, according to PanARMENIAN.Net. He was addressing young Armenians from the diaspora, members of the Miasin movement and Come Home program at a summer camp.
"Suggestions were put forward at the St Petersburg meeting, with Armenia and Azerbaijan expected to express their positions. Negotiations will be resumed when Azerbaijan has accepted the OSCE Minsk Group's suggestions," Sargsyan continued.
His remarks echo statements made earlier by Azerbaijan that the negotiations would continue once Armenia had accepted as a basis for negotiations the updated Madrid principles, put forward by the OSCE Minsk Group mediators.
The difference between the updated Madrid principles and St Petersburg proposals has not been made public. The St Petersburg proposals, however, appear to be less satisfactory to Azerbaijan.
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, speaking after a meeting at the weekend with his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian and OSCE Minsk Group representatives, accused Armenia of taking into account only the last meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents in St Petersburg, while all presidential meetings on Nagorno-Karabakh were important.
The wrangling over proposals and principles is unlikely to change the nub of the conflict, the status of the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan insists that the territory should remain part of Azerbaijan, while Armenia demands the reverse.
Following the talks between the foreign ministers at the weekend, the OSCE mediators urged the sides to "a greater spirit of compromise". That call appears to have gone unheeded.
"The primary responsibility to put an end to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict still remains with Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders," the mediators said in a statement.
Historyoftruth.com, News.Az
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