CSR: Russia should remain as mediator between Armenia, Azerbaijan
By Rashid Shirinov
Russia should remain as a mediator between Armenia and Azerbaijan and continue efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, says the report of the Russian Center for Strategic Research (CSR) published on June 29.
“Other frozen conflicts also remain in the post-Soviet space,” the report says. “Russia should remain a mediator between Armenia and Azerbaijan, continue efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and return to discussion of the draft solution of the Transnistrian issue.”
Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.
While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign state with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years.
Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.
Russia along with the U.S. and France is a co-chair country of the OSCE Minsk Group established to broker a peace to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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