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OSCE should respect Azerbaijan, expert says

8 June 2016 17:00 (UTC+04:00)
OSCE should respect Azerbaijan, expert says

By Rashid Shirinov

Armenian media reports urge that Germany has presented to the OSCE the draft budget for the formation of trust mechanisms in the zone of Karabakh conflict.

This statement was made by the Ambassador of Germany to Armenia, Matthias Kiesler, Sputnik-Armenia reported.

Kiesler claimed that Germany has invested public funds for the formation of mechanisms on investigation of border incidents in the Karabakh conflict zone. The Ambassador expressed hope that all OSCE members will adopt the draft budget. However, he did not mention the certain amount of the investment.

Azerbaijan did not assent for the introduction of any mechanisms on the contact line. It is clear that without the concert of Azerbaijan no mechanisms on its internationally recognized lands can be set up.

Initially, Armenian side reported that Azerbaijan expressed its consent on the issue in the recent Vienna meeting of two sides. Later, Yerevan itself refuted this statement.

Regarding this contradictory statement Ilgar Velizade, the Azerbaijani political analyst said that the information that Germany, a chairman country of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), provided a plan to develop mechanisms of trust in Karabakh to other member countries, at least comes as a surprise.

The analyst stressed that Nagorno-Karabakh and its adjacent territories around it belong to Azerbaijan, and neither the Chairman of the OSCE, nor the UN Secretary General nor anyone else can implement any projects there without the consent of Azerbaijan.

“The office of the Federal Chancellor must be aware that before discussing any projects in the conflict zone, they must understand that this area is within the exclusive sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Although, seeing last actions of the Bundestag, that decided to recognize the "Armenian genocide", I am not sure that Berlin adequately evaluates the current state of the region's realities,” Velizade said.

He noted that if the statement of Matthias Kiesler about investment of German public funds is confirmed, then the country officials will soon need to make excuses about the wasted funds. “Of course, Germany can dispose its own funds, but I think that if this money would be intended to address the issues of refugees, that would be more appropriate,” Velizade concluded.

Azerbaijan and Armenia for over two decades have been locked in conflict, which emerged over Armenian territorial claims. Since the 1990s war, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions. The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal, but they have not been enforced to this day.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

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