Elmar Mammadyarov: first step in resolving conflict should be withdrawal of Armenian forces from occupied Azerbaijani territories

The first step in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be elimination of its major consequences, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said during the 26th Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Brtislava, Slovakia.

He talked about yesterday’s meeting with Armenian foreign minister with participation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.

"Yesterday we spent about three and half hours with my Armenian colleague. It was pretty tough negotiations. Unfortunately, we are still having unresolved issue in front of us," the diplomat noted.

"What we discussed with the OSCE Minsk Group is the step by step approach to the settlement of the conflict. Of course, the first step should be elimination of major consequences of the conflict, that’s ensuring immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh region and other occupied territories as enshrined in four UN Security Council resolutions," Elmar Mammadyarov stressed.