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GAGIK MINASYAN: AZERBAIJAN INTERESTED IN MAINTAINING SITUATION AT CONTACT LINE
Panorama.am
16/01/2012
"Interesting developments are registered recently on mechanisms for
investigating the incidents at the contact line. Several questions
arise simultaneously, and I think the OSCE management and OSCE
Minsk Group Co-Chair Countries should focus on them," member of RPA
parliamentary faction Gagik Minasyan told a Panorama.am reporter,
commenting upon Azerbaijan's position on working out mechanisms for
investigating the incidents at the line of contact between Armenian
and Azerbaijani troops.
According to the parliamentarian, first, Azerbaijan once again takes a
step back from the commitment it assumed back in 2010 March, at the
tripartite presidential meeting in Sochi, initiated by the Russian
President.
"Unfortunately, such conduct is peculiar to official Baku. On the one
hand, Azerbaijan approves the Co-Chairs' proposals in their presence,
on the other hand, breaks its promise," Minasyan said.
According to him, the second important circumstance is that it is
not the first time that Azerbaijan's viewpoint is opposed to the
viewpoints of members of such an authoritative organization as OSCE,
because only Azerbaijan was against increasing the funds for the
Office of the OSCE CiO Personal Representative.
"And, most importantly, the necessity of creating these mechanisms
is directly connected with human losses, and Azerbaijan shows that
human losses, including the deaths of Azerbaijani soldiers, are of
no importance to itself. The Armenian side expects the international
community to pay much attention to these circumstances, because it is
evident that Azerbaijan is interested in maintaining the situation
at the contact line and takes no significant step towards settling
the situation, which is not peculiar to the Armenian side, nor does
it correspond to the main mission of OSCE Minsk Group."
We will remind that on December 22, 2011, the OSCE Permanent Council
approved the Unified Budget of the organization for 2012. Along with
this, the Permanent Council discussed a request to increase the
funding for the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office (CiO) to ensure sufficient resources to investigate
potential incidents at the line of contact between the armed forces
of Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan, in pursuance of the agreements
of February 6, 1995 signed by the three parties to the conflict
(Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia, and Azerbaijan) through the mediation of
the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Conference.
The idea of increasing the funds for the Office of the CiO Personal
Representative was widely supported by the OSCE member-states. It is
symbolic that the idea was opposed only by the Azerbaijani delegation,
which explained its position by the fact that it could not approve
additional funding for the Office until a final agreement on the
details of the mechanism of the incidents' investigation was achieved.
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian told has reporters today that at
the Sochi meeting in 2011 March the sides had agreed to investigate
the incidents at the line of contact between Armenian and Azerbaijani
troops, with the international community supporting the initiative.
However, so far the sides have failed to carry out the investigation.
Azerbaijan is to blame for it, the Minister said.
Panorama.am
16/01/2012
"Interesting developments are registered recently on mechanisms for
investigating the incidents at the contact line. Several questions
arise simultaneously, and I think the OSCE management and OSCE
Minsk Group Co-Chair Countries should focus on them," member of RPA
parliamentary faction Gagik Minasyan told a Panorama.am reporter,
commenting upon Azerbaijan's position on working out mechanisms for
investigating the incidents at the line of contact between Armenian
and Azerbaijani troops.
According to the parliamentarian, first, Azerbaijan once again takes a
step back from the commitment it assumed back in 2010 March, at the
tripartite presidential meeting in Sochi, initiated by the Russian
President.
"Unfortunately, such conduct is peculiar to official Baku. On the one
hand, Azerbaijan approves the Co-Chairs' proposals in their presence,
on the other hand, breaks its promise," Minasyan said.
According to him, the second important circumstance is that it is
not the first time that Azerbaijan's viewpoint is opposed to the
viewpoints of members of such an authoritative organization as OSCE,
because only Azerbaijan was against increasing the funds for the
Office of the OSCE CiO Personal Representative.
"And, most importantly, the necessity of creating these mechanisms
is directly connected with human losses, and Azerbaijan shows that
human losses, including the deaths of Azerbaijani soldiers, are of
no importance to itself. The Armenian side expects the international
community to pay much attention to these circumstances, because it is
evident that Azerbaijan is interested in maintaining the situation
at the contact line and takes no significant step towards settling
the situation, which is not peculiar to the Armenian side, nor does
it correspond to the main mission of OSCE Minsk Group."
We will remind that on December 22, 2011, the OSCE Permanent Council
approved the Unified Budget of the organization for 2012. Along with
this, the Permanent Council discussed a request to increase the
funding for the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office (CiO) to ensure sufficient resources to investigate
potential incidents at the line of contact between the armed forces
of Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan, in pursuance of the agreements
of February 6, 1995 signed by the three parties to the conflict
(Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia, and Azerbaijan) through the mediation of
the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Conference.
The idea of increasing the funds for the Office of the CiO Personal
Representative was widely supported by the OSCE member-states. It is
symbolic that the idea was opposed only by the Azerbaijani delegation,
which explained its position by the fact that it could not approve
additional funding for the Office until a final agreement on the
details of the mechanism of the incidents' investigation was achieved.
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian told has reporters today that at
the Sochi meeting in 2011 March the sides had agreed to investigate
the incidents at the line of contact between Armenian and Azerbaijani
troops, with the international community supporting the initiative.
However, so far the sides have failed to carry out the investigation.
Azerbaijan is to blame for it, the Minister said.