Armenia has to reconsider its position before the OSCE summit in Astana on 1-2 December, a senior Azerbaijani official has said.
"I think the whole negotiating process, the participation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and active mediation of Dmitriy Medvedev creates a situation in which Armenia should review its position, take definite action and assume a constructive position. Some steps must be taken in anticipation of the OSCE summit," the head of the foreign relations department at the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, Novruz Mammadov, said on Friday.
Interviewed by Trend news agency, Mammadov noted that at their meeting in Astrakhan the presidents of Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia had instructed the foreign ministers to take definite steps and continue negotiations in order to achieve actual results before the summit.
"However, it is difficult to say whether this is possible. Armenia still continues to be unconstructive, so efforts must be made and the Armenian side should think seriously about the country's future," he said.
Mammadov described as important the declaration on the exchange of prisoners of war and return of the bodies of the deceased, signed by the leaders of Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia in Astrakhan.
He said this was not President Dmitriy Medvedev's first initiative this year aimed at progress on a Karabakh settlement. "The meeting in Astrakhan was also held at the initiative of President Dmitriy Medvedev. The aim of the meeting was to make progress in this complex negotiating process. The meeting of the three presidents is no ordinary event. Everyone knows that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is doing everything possible to attain progress in the conflict."
Mammadov believes the meeting demonstrated, at least at a minor level, the possibility of attaining accord and mutual understanding between the presidents, as well as further possible steps in this direction.
The agreement is also important in terms of securing the return of the body of Azerbaijani National Hero Mubariz Ibrahimov, he said.
Novruz Mammadov expressed regret that, unlike Russia, the United States and France were not active on resolving the Karabakh conflict. "Though these two countries [the USA and France] have stated that they support the results of the meeting in Astrakhan."
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