Azernews.Az

By Nazrin Gadimova

The latest developments on the frontline and shelling of Azerbaijani civilians have once again shown inadmissibility of preserving existing status-quo and proved the necessity to resolve the long-lasting Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict.

Baku has repeatedly called on Yerevan to abstain from violence and to sit at negotiating table to resolve Karabakh conflict, but the Armenian criminal regime ignored Azerbaijan’s appeals and what is more resumed military actions targeting Azerbaijani civilians.

On the background of the recent tensions, the international community urged the parties to observe ceasefire, failing to propose any new methods of the settlement. Moreover, even the OSCE Minsk Group, which was created to resolve the crisis, failed to keep Armenia from demonstrating aggression towards neighboring Azerbaijan.

Recently, the OSCE has suggested creating a new international platform to prevent military incidents. Lamberto Zannier, the OSCE Secretary General, made the remark as part of the Moscow Conference on the International Security on April 28, RIA Novosti reports.

“We can use the organization for the countries to interact on a unilateral basis, on a regional basis; but most importantly is to prevent this escalation,” he stressed, adding that this platform may include specific procedures for the investigation of incidents and this would make the process more ‘institutional’.

Expert Ilgar Velizade believes that the proposal of creating the new platform and possibility of its testing in the area of the conflict seems to be far from reality and incompatible with more important and urgent problems that the OSCE is engaged in.

“In accordance with its functions, the OSCE must ensure the interests of the member countries and in particular to ensure the measures to build relationships of trust and security,” Velizade said. “How is it possible to speak about the effectiveness of additional features if the organization cannot cope with these functions effectively?”

The OSCE MG was the first to express its concern after the situation on the front-line has aggravated in early April this year. The MG called the parties to the conflict to observe truce, but they did not propose any effective method to deter Armenia, which has once again breached ceasefire agreement reached through the mediation of Russia on April 5.

Despite monitoring, held by the OSCE MG representatives on the front-line area, few days later Armenia has once again breached ceasefire. Up to date, Armenian Armed Forces continue shelling Azerbaijani positions and villages adjacent to the contact line of troops regardless of commitments and international conventions.

The group's activities were subjected to criticism many times – Azerbaijan’s government has repeatedly stated about dissatisfaction with the work for pushing the conflict from the dead point. Despite the fact that three permanent members of the UN Security Council lead the OSCE Minsk Group, there is no breakthrough in this long lasting confrontation, some experts believe.

Ali Hasanov, Azerbaijani President’s Assistant for Public and Political Affairs, has recently stated that the OSCE Minsk Group, including its member states, did not express any attitude regarding the heavy shelling of Azerbaijani settlements by Armenian armed forces and the civilians killed as a result of it.

“The silence of these structures in the current situation gives grounds to say that the international organizations, especially the OSCE Minsk Group, have directed all their efforts at safeguarding the separatist regime in Nagorno-Karabakh and war criminals who lead [this regime], and preserving the status quo in the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” the top official said.

Azerbaijan is not going to tolerate other provocations by Armenian leadership and the armed forces of this country, including destruction of settlements and murder of civilians, Hasanov added.

If the international community will continue to remain silent, Azerbaijan will have to take decisive action to protect the civilian population and to put an end to provocations, the official concluded.

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Nazrin Gadimova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @NazrinGadimova

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