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NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT SOLUTION REQUIRES MORE EFFORTS
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Feb 9 2015
9 February 2015, 17:53 (GMT+04:00)
By Mushvig Mehdiyev
The resolution process of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between
Armenia and Azerbaijan is becoming more actual requiring more
involvement of the world's influential organizations amid the recent
Armenia-triggered skirmishes on the contact line and border of the
two neighboring countries.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a mediator
in the peace talks over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, has expressed
its serious concerns over the latest skirmishes on the contact line
of the Armenian and Azerbaijani troops.
The OSCE leadership and Minsk Group co-chairs gathered on February
7 to discuss the latest developments in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace
process, according to the OSCE press service.
As a result of the high-level meeting, the OSCE released a statement
to admit that the military situation along the contact line and
Armenia-Azerbaijan border is deteriorating, posing a threat to regional
stability and endangering the civilians' lives.
"Kasprzyk's monitoring reports in January said about 12 people were
killed and 18 others wounded. This is the highest confirmed number
of victims in the first month of a year since the ceasefire agreement
signed in 1994. Approximately 60 people lost their lives in 2014.
Since then the disturbing trend has been continuing," the statement
said.
The OSCE excluded any military solution to the conflict, calling on
the sides to end incursions, stop targeting villages and civilians,
halt retaliatory attacks and use of asymmetric force, and take
additional steps to reduce tensions.
It said the partial observation of the security guarantees during
the OSCE monitoring exercises was unacceptable.
The Minsk Group co-chairs, with the full support of the
chairperson-in-office, are preparing to host an intensified negotiation
process that can lead to a peaceful end to the conflict that has
scarred the region for too long.
"We strongly urge the sides to strengthen the political will to begin
this process immediately without any preconditions," the OSCE said.
Earlier, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs held meetings with Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Armenian Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian.
They called for the resumption of presidential dialogue, as it was
said in a statement issued after the meeting with Nalbandian in Munich
on 5 February.
"We urged the minister to show more flexibility to kick off such
negotiations," the co-chairs said.
Mediators also emphasized the importance of implementing the
presidents' agreement on how exchanging the data on missing persons
under the aegis of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
"This data exchange can build a trust between the sides and facilitate
the reconciliation process. Moreover, we call for the resumption of
presidential dialogue at the earliest opportunity," they noted.
The co-chairs are expected to travel to the region in late February.
As the efforts by the OSCE Minsk Group have brought no tangible
results so far, authorities and individual diplomats from different
countries have started to emphasize the significance of solving the
Karabakh knot.
Pascal Monnier, French Ambassador to Azerbaijan, said it was important
not to consider the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh as a dispute to
last forever.
He said the conflict in Ukraine should not sideline the dispute over
Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Monnier noted that the mediation in the conflict's settlement is
neither a tribunal nor a court. It is the way of using all the
techniques available by the diplomats and experts in confidence
building, conflict resolution, and post-crisis management.
"The Minsk Group co-chairs cannot decide for the presidents in terms
of what is acceptable for them and the people of the region," he said.
Monnier noted that France urges, by all means, both presidents and
both countries to start a dialogue and avoid any measures threatening
this dialogue.
Armenia is unlikely happy with the status-quo, said Monnier.
"As we know, Armenia is occupying a lot of territories, seven
districts, and also controlling Nagorno-Karabakh. If we consider
the economic situation of Armenia, we don't have an impression that
Armenia is getting a lot from the existing situation," he said.
Monnier believes that Armenia would get more if peace is restored.
"This year is a very important year in terms of the conflict's
resolution. Of course, 2015 could appear more complicated for the
EU because of the Ukraine crisis and ISIS threats. But it is not a
reason to be inactive, we will continue to be active," he said.
Asked about the inclusion of Germany in the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair
countries, Monnier said Germany as a government is supporting the
Minsk Group co-chairs, as does the European Union.
Monnier believes that the co-chairing group is the appropriate body
to find a peaceful and lasting solution to the conflict.
"I don't think that there is debate in Europe on this subject,"
he said.
"The Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh is a matter
of concern for all the nations because it violates the stability in
the region and also prevents economic integration of the region,
and it also puts a negative impact on everyone. I think that any
concrete support of any member states to the conflict's settlement
is welcomed," Monnier added.
The Azerbaijani leadership is not satisfied with the poor activity of
the OSCE Minsk Group in the two-decade negotiation process, accusing
the mediator structure of remaining indifferent particularly when it
comes to illegal presence of the Armenian army in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Despite regular statements on unacceptability of the status quo in
the conflict, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs has failed to contribute
to the solution of protracted problem. Furthermore, the organization
lack any action plan, or means of impact to achieve solution to the
conflict, which frequently gives birth to ideas about replacing it
with more effective format.
Armenia keeps under control over 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory,
avoiding fulfilling four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate
withdrawal from the occupied lands and in fact facing no pressure.
This comes as other standards are applied in another part of Europe -
in Ukraine - to prevent aggression.
Such approaches towards the conflict solution are sometimes interpreted
as double standards, apparently used by certain forces to enforce
their power in the region.
Based on international law Azerbaijan prioritizes the withdrawal of
Armenian forces from its internationally recognized territory as a key
condition to move forward. Despite its strong army and capabilities to
liberate its occupied lands, Azerbaijani authorities opt for peaceful
end to the two-decade long conflict.
Armenia captured Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts from
Azerbaijan in a war that followed the Soviet breakup in 1991. More than
20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and nearly 1 million were displaced
as a result of the war ending in occupation of Azerbaijan's 20 percent
historical and internationally recognized lands.
http://www.azernews.az/azerbaijan/77354.html
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Feb 9 2015
9 February 2015, 17:53 (GMT+04:00)
By Mushvig Mehdiyev
The resolution process of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between
Armenia and Azerbaijan is becoming more actual requiring more
involvement of the world's influential organizations amid the recent
Armenia-triggered skirmishes on the contact line and border of the
two neighboring countries.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a mediator
in the peace talks over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, has expressed
its serious concerns over the latest skirmishes on the contact line
of the Armenian and Azerbaijani troops.
The OSCE leadership and Minsk Group co-chairs gathered on February
7 to discuss the latest developments in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace
process, according to the OSCE press service.
As a result of the high-level meeting, the OSCE released a statement
to admit that the military situation along the contact line and
Armenia-Azerbaijan border is deteriorating, posing a threat to regional
stability and endangering the civilians' lives.
"Kasprzyk's monitoring reports in January said about 12 people were
killed and 18 others wounded. This is the highest confirmed number
of victims in the first month of a year since the ceasefire agreement
signed in 1994. Approximately 60 people lost their lives in 2014.
Since then the disturbing trend has been continuing," the statement
said.
The OSCE excluded any military solution to the conflict, calling on
the sides to end incursions, stop targeting villages and civilians,
halt retaliatory attacks and use of asymmetric force, and take
additional steps to reduce tensions.
It said the partial observation of the security guarantees during
the OSCE monitoring exercises was unacceptable.
The Minsk Group co-chairs, with the full support of the
chairperson-in-office, are preparing to host an intensified negotiation
process that can lead to a peaceful end to the conflict that has
scarred the region for too long.
"We strongly urge the sides to strengthen the political will to begin
this process immediately without any preconditions," the OSCE said.
Earlier, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs held meetings with Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Armenian Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian.
They called for the resumption of presidential dialogue, as it was
said in a statement issued after the meeting with Nalbandian in Munich
on 5 February.
"We urged the minister to show more flexibility to kick off such
negotiations," the co-chairs said.
Mediators also emphasized the importance of implementing the
presidents' agreement on how exchanging the data on missing persons
under the aegis of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
"This data exchange can build a trust between the sides and facilitate
the reconciliation process. Moreover, we call for the resumption of
presidential dialogue at the earliest opportunity," they noted.
The co-chairs are expected to travel to the region in late February.
As the efforts by the OSCE Minsk Group have brought no tangible
results so far, authorities and individual diplomats from different
countries have started to emphasize the significance of solving the
Karabakh knot.
Pascal Monnier, French Ambassador to Azerbaijan, said it was important
not to consider the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh as a dispute to
last forever.
He said the conflict in Ukraine should not sideline the dispute over
Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Monnier noted that the mediation in the conflict's settlement is
neither a tribunal nor a court. It is the way of using all the
techniques available by the diplomats and experts in confidence
building, conflict resolution, and post-crisis management.
"The Minsk Group co-chairs cannot decide for the presidents in terms
of what is acceptable for them and the people of the region," he said.
Monnier noted that France urges, by all means, both presidents and
both countries to start a dialogue and avoid any measures threatening
this dialogue.
Armenia is unlikely happy with the status-quo, said Monnier.
"As we know, Armenia is occupying a lot of territories, seven
districts, and also controlling Nagorno-Karabakh. If we consider
the economic situation of Armenia, we don't have an impression that
Armenia is getting a lot from the existing situation," he said.
Monnier believes that Armenia would get more if peace is restored.
"This year is a very important year in terms of the conflict's
resolution. Of course, 2015 could appear more complicated for the
EU because of the Ukraine crisis and ISIS threats. But it is not a
reason to be inactive, we will continue to be active," he said.
Asked about the inclusion of Germany in the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair
countries, Monnier said Germany as a government is supporting the
Minsk Group co-chairs, as does the European Union.
Monnier believes that the co-chairing group is the appropriate body
to find a peaceful and lasting solution to the conflict.
"I don't think that there is debate in Europe on this subject,"
he said.
"The Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh is a matter
of concern for all the nations because it violates the stability in
the region and also prevents economic integration of the region,
and it also puts a negative impact on everyone. I think that any
concrete support of any member states to the conflict's settlement
is welcomed," Monnier added.
The Azerbaijani leadership is not satisfied with the poor activity of
the OSCE Minsk Group in the two-decade negotiation process, accusing
the mediator structure of remaining indifferent particularly when it
comes to illegal presence of the Armenian army in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Despite regular statements on unacceptability of the status quo in
the conflict, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs has failed to contribute
to the solution of protracted problem. Furthermore, the organization
lack any action plan, or means of impact to achieve solution to the
conflict, which frequently gives birth to ideas about replacing it
with more effective format.
Armenia keeps under control over 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory,
avoiding fulfilling four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate
withdrawal from the occupied lands and in fact facing no pressure.
This comes as other standards are applied in another part of Europe -
in Ukraine - to prevent aggression.
Such approaches towards the conflict solution are sometimes interpreted
as double standards, apparently used by certain forces to enforce
their power in the region.
Based on international law Azerbaijan prioritizes the withdrawal of
Armenian forces from its internationally recognized territory as a key
condition to move forward. Despite its strong army and capabilities to
liberate its occupied lands, Azerbaijani authorities opt for peaceful
end to the two-decade long conflict.
Armenia captured Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts from
Azerbaijan in a war that followed the Soviet breakup in 1991. More than
20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and nearly 1 million were displaced
as a result of the war ending in occupation of Azerbaijan's 20 percent
historical and internationally recognized lands.
http://www.azernews.az/azerbaijan/77354.html