Azerbaijan, Baku, March 27 / Trend, E.Tariverdiyeva /
It is glad to hear that Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan at least in words began to care about the future of the region and its people, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elman Abdullayev told Trend commenting on Sargsyan's recent statements.
"Unfortunately, in practice Armenian authorities' efforts for stability and prosperity of the region are not felt. President Sargsyan hampers development of the region with his destructive approach to the peace process over Nagorno-Karabakh," he said.
In contrast to words, Sargsyan's actions adversely affect the future of the region's peoples, Abdullayev said.
Armenia will continue constructive activities within the OSCE Minsk Group in the context of the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said in his congratulatory letter on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of establishment of the OSCE Minsk Group, Armenian presidential press service told Novosti-Armenia Agency.
"Being deeply interested in the Karabakh conflict resolution, Armenia will continue its positive and constructive activities within the OSCE Minsk Group in the context of the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict for the benefit of stability and security in our region, for a better future for our peoples," Sargsyan said.
"The Armenian leadership should seriously think about the future of the region, the future of Armenia itself and its people and to demonstrate constructivism and pragmatism in its approach to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict resolution," Abdullayev said.
Resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is an essential condition for the development of the region and its economic prosperity, he underlined.
"Desire for stability and security in the South Caucasus should not only consist in rhetoric. The region's prosperity depends on political will of the Armenian authorities to resolve the conflict and on specific actions that have not been taken by Yerevan yet," Abdullayev 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 per cent 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 U.S. - are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.