Negotiations on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict are at an impasse, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said Tuesday, December 3, Interfax Azerbaijan reports.

"The current state of the negotiation process on the Karabakh issue does not lead anywhere,” Mammadyarov said in Baku following talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Mammadyarov said the conflict should be resolved in stages.

"First of all, of course, the army should return to the barracks, and not be in the field. Then we can think about the return of refugees, unlocking economic opportunities and opening roads," the Azerbaijani foreign policy chief said.

Lavrov said earlier that the sides to the Karabakh conflict should refrain from rhetoric that runs counter to the basic principles of the settlement.