I Did Not Invite You, Your Coming Here Was Your Idea: Aliyev to OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs

The OSCE Minsk Group has played no role in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev while receiving the American and French co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Andrew Schofer and Stéphane Visconti, in Baku today.

“Unfortunately, the Minsk Group has played no role in the resolution of the conflict, despite having a mandate to do so for the past 28 years. I have participated in the negotiations for 17 years. However, even when the Minsk Group proposed ideas and attempted to approach the issue creatively, it yielded no results,” said Aliyev.

According to him, the resolution of the conflict has completely changed the situation in the region. “The current situation is entirely new,” Aliyev emphasized, agreeing with Russian President Vladimir Putin's assessment that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is now a thing of the past.

He added that the initiative to visit Baku was that of the co-chairs, and he had not invited them. “Your coming here was your idea. I can say that once again in front of the cameras. I did not invite the Minsk Group, but when I was informed that the Minsk Group wanted to come, I said, let them come, I am not against it. Perhaps they have something to say to me,” said Aliyev.