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  • OSCE's Nagorno-Karabakh worries

    Euro-reporters.com, Belgium
    April 18 2005

    OSCE's Nagorno-Karabakh worries
    Contributed by David Ferguson
    Monday, 18 April 2005


    OSCE mission members monitor the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh.


    The OSCE's Minsk Group, which deals with the conflict over
    Nagorno-Karabakh, is worried about rising casualties on both lines of
    the front. The Minsk-Group is concerned by the significant increase,
    during recent weeks, of ceasefire violations along the front lines,
    resulting in higher numbers of casualties, as well as by public
    statements about the possibility of war. "These violations are
    causing needless loss of life and jeopardizing the cease-fire," read
    a statement by the group. "References to war are complicating current
    efforts to elaborate a peaceful settlement of the conflict, are
    fueling feelings of hate in the population of both countries, and are
    not preparing the people to live as neighbors rather than enemies."
    The Minsk group's co-chairs, ambassadors Yuriy Merzlyakov (Russia),
    Steven Mann (US) and Bernard Fassier (France), urged both Azerbaijan
    and Armenia to reinforce the cease-fire line and refrain from any
    public statements that could lead to escalation of the conflict,
    which has killed around 30,000. Nagorno-Karabakh has been under
    Armenian control for over a decade. The ambassadors also called for
    both sides to "... prepare their populations for a balanced
    negotiated agreement that will require compromise on both sides". The
    original cease-fire dates from 1994, although a final political
    settlement has yet to be reached.

    "I encourage all parties to seek the resolution of this issue through
    political dialogue. Any means other than those of a peaceful nature
    are not part of the OSCE's vocabulary," said OSCE chair, Slovenian
    Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel. He also called for the stabilization
    of the situation along the frontlines. "To defuse the present tension
    and start developing confidence between the sides, ceasefire
    violations must stop. The personal engagement of the two Presidents
    of Azerbaijan and Armenia is an important milestone on the path to
    this objective."

    International mediators are stepping up efforts to put an end to the
    conflict. The OSCE talks of an Armenian-Azerbaijani summit
    'envisaged' for mid-May. The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and
    Azerbaijan held confidential talks in London last Friday at the US
    embassy. Reports suggest that the two Foreign Ministers entered at
    different times, thus avoiding a face-to-face meeting.

    Last month, in a separate development, Benita Ferrero-Waldner,
    European Commissioner for External Relations and European
    Neighbourhood Policy, announced closer relations with Azerbaijan and
    Armenia: "The European Neighbourhood Policy gives us an opportunity
    to take relations with Azerbaijan and Armenia up a gear. Progress in
    our relationship will reflect the efforts and successes of the
    countries itself".

    In June 2004, Armenia and Azerbaijan (together with Georgia) were
    included in the European Neighbourhood Policy, at their request and
    following a recommendation made by the European Commission. There
    remains, though, very limited regional co-operation in the Southern
    Caucasus and the political will for a settlement of the conflict is
    low: "As a consequence of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijan
    is very reluctant to engage in any co-operation with Armenia, either
    on a bilateral basis or within the framework of international
    organisations," notes the European Commission's report for
    Azerbaijan.
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