April 12, 2012 - 19:20 AMT
FM: Baku’s racist rhetoric detrimental to Karabakh settlement talks

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian met with OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs Robert Bradtke, Igor Popov, Jacques Faure and the Personal Representative of OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk in Warsaw.

At the meeting, the parties discussed possible solutions to Karabakh conflict and implementation of settlement-related presidential agreements reached January 2012 in Sochi.

In this context, Mr Nalbandian touched upon Baku’s military rhetoric and actions, running counter to Sochi agreements. As the Minister noted, Azeri-voiced anti-Armenian and racist rhetoric is detrimental to favorable negotiation environment, Foreign Ministry press service reported.

On April 3, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev called Armenians “fascists” during a plenary sitting of Euronest Parliamentary Assembly in Baku. The statement sparked resentment of the Armenian delegation which dubbed it improper and beyond diplomatic norms. Representative of Euronest delegation and other countries also expressed discontent with Aliyev’s conduct.