A spokesman for the Nagorno Karabakh President on Thursday, July 14 accused Azerbaijan of dragging the resolution of the conflict hoping to achieve a more favorable position, ARKA reports.

David Babayan, the head of the press service of the Karabakh President, told Russian Interfax that in contrast to Azerbaijan, which insists on a phased settlement in order to delay the process, “Stepanakert favors a package solution with the essential recognition of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic's independence.”

According to him, Azerbaijan's territorial integrity has nothing to do with Nagorno Karabakh, whose independence does not threaten the territorial integrity of that country, since Nagorno Karabakh has never been a part of independent Azerbaijan. He said the negotiations would succeed only after the restoration of Karabakh authorities’ involvement in the talks.

He also noted the importance of the implementation of the agreements reached by the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Vienna and St. Petersburg.

During a May 16 meeting in Vienna, Austria, the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to work out security guarantees against ceasefire violations around Nagorno Karabakh and resume their search for a peace deal to end the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

After a June 20 meeting in St. Petersburg, the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to increase the number of international observers in the Karabakh conflict zone and noted the achievement of mutual understanding on a number of issues that will create conditions for progress in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process.