President Ilham Aliyev receives co-chairs of OSCE Minsk Group

Baku. 28 October. REPORT.AZ/ President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs James Warlick of the United States, Igor Popov of Russia and Pierre Andrieu of France, as well as Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk, Report informs.

President Ilham Aliyev noted that the Armenian leadership does not give up provocations. “Armenia launched large-scale military exercises in Azerbaijan`s occupied lands less than two weeks after the Paris negotiations of the presidents last October. Attack helicopters of the Armenian Armed Forces attacked Azerbaijan`s positions. The Azerbaijani side remained unresponsive to this for several days. Finally, the helicopters of the Armenian Armed Forces, which were conducting combat maneuvers over our positions, were annihilated when they openly attempted to fire at our positions.”

The head of state said an attempt by a reconnaissance-raiding group of the Armenian Armed Forces to commit a provocation in Azerbaijan`s territory was prevented this September, adding that the occupants suffered serious loses.

President Ilham Aliyev said Armenian President Serzh Sargsian was responsible for all these provocations.

The head of state noted that Armenia has become a source of great threat in the region. “The Armenian Armed Forces regularly fire at civilians in Azerbaijan`s occupied territories, even the people who attend wedding ceremonies are shot, and as a result our civilian population suffers loses. But when the Azerbaijani side responds to such provocations, we face accusations.” President Ilham Aliyev expressed regret over the fact that the international community, especially mediators, do not adequately react to cruel actions of the Armenian side.

The President of Azerbaijan said that in addition, the dictator Sargsian regime has recently committed another political provocation by stating that Nagorno-Karabakh is part of Armenia.

“Unfortunately, the mediators have not responded to this unbearable statement, which is contrary even to the official position of Armenian itself.”

The head of state noted that the Azerbaijani side is deeply regretful about this situation, adding that this casts a shadow on the mission of the mediators.

The sides exchanged views on the current state and prospects of negotiations over the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.