President Ilham Alliyev’s remarks, suggesting that the meeting with his Armenian counterpart was a “formality,” show Azeri authorities’ attitude to negotiations, Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister said.

“That is why no progress has been registered in the Karabakh conflict settlement process during all these years,” Shavarsh Kocharyan noted, according to Aysor.am.

For peace efforts to succeed, the official said, “progress in the parties’ approaches, rather than activation of the process, is necessary.”

“The mediators - OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs - strive for progress and more frequent meetings. But if all the talks suffer the same fate as those in Bern, Switzerland, no progress can be expected. This issue should make the mediators and the international community once again analyze the situation as it won’t lead to any positive outcome,” Kocharyan stressed.

“All [peace building] proposals are aimed at the establishment of mechanisms for border investigation. Although Azerbaijan still rejects the idea, the mediators are concerned and determined to find new ways,” he said.

If all these efforts fail, the Deputy Minister said, other options include imposing necessary steps on Azerbaijan and starting process of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic recognition.