Unlike the Minsk Group positive efforts, the OSCE Chairman avoids making tough statements addressed to Azerbaijan
The OSCE Chairman-in-office, First Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia, Foreign Affairs Minister, Ivica Dačić, during his visit to Armenia, already managed to disappoint some Armenian political circles. In particular, this disappointment is related to the incident when during the joint press conference with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian at the Ministry, Mr. Ivica Dačić bypassed the question of why the OSCE is not appropriately responding to the attempts of the ceasefire violations by Azerbaijan. Prior to answering the question, the OSCE Chairman consulted with Edward Nalbandian during the press conference and then replied that these statements still need to be investigated and instructed the envoys to make this work.
Whether we can conclude from the similar stance of the OSCE Chairman that hardly a positive progress would be registered in the near future regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, the opinions by some of the politicians on this matter are diametrically different. Director of the Armenian Center for Political and International Relations, also a political analyst, Aghasi Yenokyan, in the interview with “Aravot”, explained this stance that thus the OSCE is trying to maintain a balance between the two sides. Later on, he noted that if our mass media report that the ceasefire violations have occurred from Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan reports that they are coming from Armenia. Aghasi Yenokyan detailed, “The OSCE Chairman is trying to maintain the balance so that the OSCE will be able to find a place in the Karabakh conflict settlement. Otherwise, if he expressed a favorable opinion in favor to either side, he would have a big problem in communicating with the other side with regard to dictating his actions.”
Aghasi Yenokyan believes that if a positive progress in registered in the Karabakh conflict settlement in the near future, it makes no difference, it would not be thanks to the OSCE, because this structure has reached the status quo and is trying to at least maintain it. To our clarification whether no good days are expected to the OSCE, Aghasi Yenokyan responded, “The OSCE is doing what can be done in this situation. If it tries to make tougher steps, it would also lose the impact that it has now.” Aghasi Yenokyan considers Mammadyarov’s statement natural, noting that we do also make such statements, but the question is how each party understands the peace. However, according to him, we should be serious not about the words of Mammadyarov, but the actions of Azerbaijan. However, Aghasi Yenokyan estimates the Minsk Group activities positively, substantiating that the ceasefire regime is maintained thanks to these activities.
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Back to the ambitions of Azerbaijan to expand the composition of the Minsk Group, Mr. Yenokyan noted that their goal is to bring Turkey into the Minsk Group, which is excluded. Political analyst Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan does not particularly justify the behavior of the OSCE Chairman and mentions, “They are trying to demonstrate an equal approach without understanding that with this posture they actually do harm to the peace process or to all possibilities of the peaceful settlement of the conflict.” Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan believes that only the Minsk Group is actually working on the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict settlement, while the rest of the OSCE officials are involved in making meaningless statements without being delved into the basic matter.
To the question of “Aravot” whether we can draw conclusions after similar statements that no progress should be expected in the near future on the Karabakh conflict settlement, Mr. Melik-Shahnazaryan responded, “It is true, and different OSCE officials also understand it that the negotiation process today has reached an impasse, and no one sees any ways out. But they also understand that the facts cannot be called by their names and increase tension furthermore, hence, they are trying to evade answering such questions.” The statements made by the Azerbaijani officials, according to Mr. Melik-Shahnazaryan, have no value, as long as the government authorities of the country do not show their desire to seek peace. For example, they have not withdrawn the snipers and do not contribute to the development of the institute of monitoring in the conflict zone.
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN, “Aravot” daily
