Question: Novruz Mammadov, an official of Azerbaijan’s Presidential Administration, well-known for his “pearls of wisdom”, made comments on Saint Petersburg meeting. What would you on this issue?

Edward Nalbandian: That official, Novruz Mammadov, has never participated in any negotiations and the Summit in Saint Petersburg was no exclusion. At the latest meeting, he attended the working lunch only, during which exclusively the creation of a mechanism of investigation of cease-fire violations and expansion of capabilities of the team of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office were discussed.

Regarding the package solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, first of all, as it was stated on numerous occasions – it should be based on the recognition by Azerbaijan of the right of Nagorno-Karabakh people to self-determination and the realization of that right.

Not a single agreement on the settlement of the issue was reached at the Summit in St. Petersburg.

At this stage, Azerbaijan should unconditionally implement the agreements reached and reaffirmed in Vienna and St. Petersburg – first and foremost, settlement of the issue exclusively through peaceful means, maintenance of 1994-1995 trilateral cease-fire agreements which have no time limitations, creation of mechanism of investigation of cease-fire violations, as well as expansion of capabilities of the team of OSCE Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. All this will enable the creation of appropriate conditions for resumption of negotiations on the settlement of the issue.