22 Feb 2018 14:38

Baku's statements on 'returning Yerevan' hinder Karabakh conflict settlement - Armenian defense minister

YEREVAN. Feb 22 (Interfax) - Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan and European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus Toivo Klaar have discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement process at a meeting in Yerevan.

Klaar said the EU's position on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue is unambiguous: "The conflict should be resolved in a peaceful way through negotiations," the Armenian Defense Ministry said.

Sargsyan, for his part, said it is important for the EU to have a balanced position on the Nagorno-Karabakh problem and give political support to the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, the ministry said.

With regard to statements made recently by the Azerbaijani leadership, including one about "returning Yerevan," Sargsyan said such remarks "are not at all conducive to a peaceful resolution of the problem."

Sargsyan and Klaar agreed that "the international community should properly respond to such statements."