Latest Karabakh ministerial seen as 'resumption of interrupted peace talks'
By Sara Rajabova
The latest meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers can be regarded as resumption of the interrupted talks on settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, an Azerbaijani analyst has said.
Director of the Institute of Political Studies of the Academy of Public Administration under the President of Azerbaijan, political expert Elman Nasirov believes that now a very complicated stage has begun in the negotiation process.
"In March, during the talks in Paris the co-chairs [of the mediating OSCE Minsk Group] essentially failed to organize a meeting of the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia, because of Armenia's well-known [unconstructive] position. After that, the Krakow meeting was held. With regard to the Krakow meeting I would like to note that after it intensity in a certain sense...continues to be observed [in peace talks]," Nasirov said.
Foreign Ministers Elmar Mammadyarov and Edward Nalbandian met in Poland on May 17, where the ministers together with the Minsk Group co-chairs -- Igor Popov of Russia, Jacques Faure of France and Ian Kelly of the United States -- discussed possible ways to advance the peace process of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The ministers exchanged views on the current situation and reaffirmed their commitment to promoting peace in the region.
The co-chairs reiterated the need to avoid actions or rhetoric that could raise tensions or damage the peace process, and discussed with the ministers a number of confidence building measures to help create an atmosphere conducive to reconciliation.
Commenting on the upcoming visit of the OSCE co-chairs to the region in late May, Nasirov said that the visit is likely to be aimed at arranging a meeting at the level of Presidents.
"Last time the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia met in Sochi in 2012. Now, not only meetings between presidents, but even those of the foreign ministers take place with difficulty. The co-chairs perceive responsibility for this, it can't go on like this for a long time, the [peace] process may spiral out of their control."
Referring to media reports, he said the co-chairs are looking to put forward a concrete time related to the adoption of the updated Madrid Principles during their visit to region.
Nasirov said that no changes are seen in Armenia's position regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.
"No mechanism has been established that can affect the position of Armenia. Witnessing its going unpunished, Armenia is making new silly statements. All this is aimed to maintain the current status-quo in the conflict," he said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations.
The negotiations are underway on the basis of a peace outline proposed by the Minsk Group co-chairs and dubbed in the Madrid Principles, also known as Basic Principles. The document envisions a return of the territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijani control; determining the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh; a corridor linking Armenia to the region; and the right of all internally displaced persons to return home.