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MEDIATORS' CALL: MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS URGE KARABAKH NOT TO OPERATE NEW AIRPORT
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow
23.11.12 | 12:18
The United States, Russian and French co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group
paid a visit to Nagorno-Karabakh on Thursday during which they urged
official Stepanakert to refrain from putting a newly reconstructed
airport into operation.
The airport near the Karabakh capital that was rebuilt in recent years
is now capable of servicing civilian flights to and from Yerevan. But
no flights have taken place yet amid threats from Azerbaijan to shoot
down civilian aircraft entering the airspace that it considers to be
its own.
After meeting Karabakh President Bako Sahakyan the co-chairmen, Robert
Bradtke (USA), Igor Popov (Russia) and Jacques Faure (France), issued
a joint statement: "We find that the operation of the airport in this
situation will cause tension between the parties [to the conflict]. We
also find that this issue should be resolved diplomatically and with
the existing experience being taken into account."
Bradtke, for his part, noted that during the Obama presidency in
the United States they will seek to achieve tangible results in the
Karabakh peace process. "We will do our best to work closely with our
partners, including with Russia," underscored the American mediator.
The international peace brokers avoided making comments on one of
the most controversial issues of the recent period - the extradition
of Ramil Safarov, a confessed murderer of a fellow Armenian student
at a NATO-sponsored language course in Budapest in 2004, who was
sentenced to life imprisonment in Hungary, to Azerbaijan. They said
they addressed the matter in their statements in September as did
the foreign ministers of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries in
their ensuing statements.
At the same time, Karabakh leader Sahakyan called unacceptable the
glorification of the criminal in Azerbaijan. He also condemned the
politicization of humanitarian issues and continuing war rhetoric
in Baku. Sahakyan urged the mediators to take appropriate steps
"for getting Azerbaijan to a constructive direction."
The Karabakh president reaffirmed his country's position that the
settlement of the conflict is possible only with the consideration
of the existing realities, focusing on the removal of the causes
rather than consequences of the conflict. He warned that any attempt
to return to the past will lead to failure.
After the meeting, Karabakh presidential spokesman David Babayan
told reporters that the Karabakh side had made a concrete suggestion
that days be instituted during the year - for example, International
Children's Day, International Women's Day, Holy Easter, Nowruz Holiday,
New Year, etc., - when the parties to the conflict must absolutely
observe ceasefire and exclude any shooting at the borders.
"In fact, the negotiation process has stalled in the aftermath of the
Safarov Affair, and it must be restored some way. And this should be
done in small steps," added the spokesperson.
The co-chairs, for their part, presented to the Karabakh leadership
new ideas that they said were addressed at a meeting of the foreign
ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Paris, France, in late October.
"We conveyed some of our ideas that can help continue the negotiation
process. We plan to discuss these topics also during our meetings
in Yerevan and Baku," said the Russian co-chair, Popov, without
elaborating.
The mediating troika was expected to meet with Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan in Yerevan later on Friday and then travel to Baku to
meet with Azerbaijan's leadership on Monday.
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow
23.11.12 | 12:18
The United States, Russian and French co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group
paid a visit to Nagorno-Karabakh on Thursday during which they urged
official Stepanakert to refrain from putting a newly reconstructed
airport into operation.
The airport near the Karabakh capital that was rebuilt in recent years
is now capable of servicing civilian flights to and from Yerevan. But
no flights have taken place yet amid threats from Azerbaijan to shoot
down civilian aircraft entering the airspace that it considers to be
its own.
After meeting Karabakh President Bako Sahakyan the co-chairmen, Robert
Bradtke (USA), Igor Popov (Russia) and Jacques Faure (France), issued
a joint statement: "We find that the operation of the airport in this
situation will cause tension between the parties [to the conflict]. We
also find that this issue should be resolved diplomatically and with
the existing experience being taken into account."
Bradtke, for his part, noted that during the Obama presidency in
the United States they will seek to achieve tangible results in the
Karabakh peace process. "We will do our best to work closely with our
partners, including with Russia," underscored the American mediator.
The international peace brokers avoided making comments on one of
the most controversial issues of the recent period - the extradition
of Ramil Safarov, a confessed murderer of a fellow Armenian student
at a NATO-sponsored language course in Budapest in 2004, who was
sentenced to life imprisonment in Hungary, to Azerbaijan. They said
they addressed the matter in their statements in September as did
the foreign ministers of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries in
their ensuing statements.
At the same time, Karabakh leader Sahakyan called unacceptable the
glorification of the criminal in Azerbaijan. He also condemned the
politicization of humanitarian issues and continuing war rhetoric
in Baku. Sahakyan urged the mediators to take appropriate steps
"for getting Azerbaijan to a constructive direction."
The Karabakh president reaffirmed his country's position that the
settlement of the conflict is possible only with the consideration
of the existing realities, focusing on the removal of the causes
rather than consequences of the conflict. He warned that any attempt
to return to the past will lead to failure.
After the meeting, Karabakh presidential spokesman David Babayan
told reporters that the Karabakh side had made a concrete suggestion
that days be instituted during the year - for example, International
Children's Day, International Women's Day, Holy Easter, Nowruz Holiday,
New Year, etc., - when the parties to the conflict must absolutely
observe ceasefire and exclude any shooting at the borders.
"In fact, the negotiation process has stalled in the aftermath of the
Safarov Affair, and it must be restored some way. And this should be
done in small steps," added the spokesperson.
The co-chairs, for their part, presented to the Karabakh leadership
new ideas that they said were addressed at a meeting of the foreign
ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Paris, France, in late October.
"We conveyed some of our ideas that can help continue the negotiation
process. We plan to discuss these topics also during our meetings
in Yerevan and Baku," said the Russian co-chair, Popov, without
elaborating.
The mediating troika was expected to meet with Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan in Yerevan later on Friday and then travel to Baku to
meet with Azerbaijan's leadership on Monday.