The statement made by the US Secretary of State John Kerry about unreadiness of the leaders to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict surprises and upsets, Novruz Mammadov, deputy head of Azerbaijani presidential administration, chief of the administration`s foreign relations department, told reporters in Baku Oct.7.

Such a statement of the secretary of state of a superstate, which involved in the conflict`s settlement, on the eve of the resignation, elections, surprises, said Mammadov.

He noted that this sounds strange, as a message to the world.

“It is Armenia that during the talks to resolve the conflict claims that leaders aren`t ready to resolve the conflict,” he said, adding that Nagorno-Karabakh is a historic land of Azerbaijan.

“How can it be explained that the continuation of occupation of seven districts around the Nagorno-Karabakh over more than 25 years, which has led to the fact that about 760,000 people became displaced,” Mammadov said.

“If Armenia withdraws from the seven districts, doesn`t this need preparation?” he said. “The three co-chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk Group, including the US, entrusted with the main mission for this. However, so far we see no progress.”

Armenia is an invading country, said Mammadov adding that the US also voted at the UN Security Council for the adoption of four resolutions on the withdrawal of Armenian forces from the Azerbaijani territories.

“Resolutions and decisions on the issue were adopted by many international organizations,” he noted. “Presidents of the three co-chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk Group also expressed the need to change the status quo.”

Mammadov added, Azerbaijan doesn`t agree with John Kerry`s statement and would like to see any US state structure to clarify this statement.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

More about: