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OSCE CALLS FOR WITHDRAWAL OF ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI SNIPERS AROUND NAGORNO-KARABAKH
BYLINE: Matt Clements
Global Insight
March 15, 2011
The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
yesterday (14 March) urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to remove snipers
from around the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. In making the request,
OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Lithuanian minister of foreign affairs
Audronius Azubalis was quoted by Reuters as saying "the withdrawal
of snipers would set a good example and would be appreciated by the
political community". The comments came after Azerbaijan claimed that
a 10-year-old boy was killed by an Armenian sniper on 8 March close
to the Line of Contact (LoC) that separates the two sides around the
separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia has denied that the
incident took place.
The OSCE statement comes as the organisation's mediators visit
Baku as part of a tour of the region that will also take them to
Nagorno-Karabakh and the Armenian capital Yerevan. There have been a
number of fatal clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces around
Nagorno-Karabakh in recent months, leading to a number of deaths. This
has been accompanied by major increases in defence spending by
Azerbaijan, with the 2011 defence budget reaching USD3.1 billion.
However, talks between the Armenian and Azerbaijani leadership on
a settlement to the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh have continued, with
talks being held most recently on 5 March (seeArmenia - Azerbaijan:
5 March 2011:).
Significance:The OSCE is seeking to calm tensions around
Nagorno-Karabakh amid ongoing clashes and provocative statements,
particularly by the Azerbaijani leadership. However, there is little
chance that either side will be willing to withdraw any military
forces from around the LoC. Nevertheless, despite these tensions and
an ongoing arms race between the two states, there is little risk
of any renewed conflict, at least over the short to medium term,
although the longer settlement talks remain stalemated, the greater
the risk that localised tensions could escalate to a dangerous level.
From: A. Papazian
BYLINE: Matt Clements
Global Insight
March 15, 2011
The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
yesterday (14 March) urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to remove snipers
from around the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. In making the request,
OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Lithuanian minister of foreign affairs
Audronius Azubalis was quoted by Reuters as saying "the withdrawal
of snipers would set a good example and would be appreciated by the
political community". The comments came after Azerbaijan claimed that
a 10-year-old boy was killed by an Armenian sniper on 8 March close
to the Line of Contact (LoC) that separates the two sides around the
separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia has denied that the
incident took place.
The OSCE statement comes as the organisation's mediators visit
Baku as part of a tour of the region that will also take them to
Nagorno-Karabakh and the Armenian capital Yerevan. There have been a
number of fatal clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces around
Nagorno-Karabakh in recent months, leading to a number of deaths. This
has been accompanied by major increases in defence spending by
Azerbaijan, with the 2011 defence budget reaching USD3.1 billion.
However, talks between the Armenian and Azerbaijani leadership on
a settlement to the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh have continued, with
talks being held most recently on 5 March (seeArmenia - Azerbaijan:
5 March 2011:).
Significance:The OSCE is seeking to calm tensions around
Nagorno-Karabakh amid ongoing clashes and provocative statements,
particularly by the Azerbaijani leadership. However, there is little
chance that either side will be willing to withdraw any military
forces from around the LoC. Nevertheless, despite these tensions and
an ongoing arms race between the two states, there is little risk
of any renewed conflict, at least over the short to medium term,
although the longer settlement talks remain stalemated, the greater
the risk that localised tensions could escalate to a dangerous level.
From: A. Papazian