Editor's Note: Details added
Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 2 / Trend M.Aliyev /
Azerbaijan faced with the unconstructive position of Armenia at the Astana summit, Azerbaijani Presidential Administration's Social and Political Department Head Ali Hasanov told journalists on Thursday.
The summit is held in Astana on Dec. 1-2 and will bring together presidents and prime ministers from 56 OSCE member countries and 12 OSCE partner countries, as well as the heads of 68 international organizations. The summit has been held six times since the organization's inception in 1975. The last was held in Istanbul in 1999. During the summit, a statement was made on behalf of the OSCE Minsk Group and the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia. It noted a need for stronger efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
He added that, prior to the Astana summit, the Nagorno-Karabakh issue was discussed during an OSCE summit in Istanbul where a serious attempt was made to address this issue.
"Armenia really committed itself to constructivism at the Istanbul summit," he said. "However, after this summit, there was a change of power in Armenia, and Yerevan tightened its discussion on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict for 11 years - up until the Astana summit."
Hasanov said the summit has made a serious attempt to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, but it can only resolved by peaceful means when Armenia reaches a constructive position.
"We did not see constructivism at this summit," he said. "Armenia has again demonstrated a desire to delay the process and to abandon already made decisions based on subjective arguments."
Hasanov expressed hope that after the summit, the OSCE Minsk Group will strengthen its activities and undertake new attempts to solve the problem.
"If Armenia continues to adhere to this position in the future, Azerbaijan will have to liberate its territories by power," Hasanov said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the United States - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding regions.