Official: OSCE MG should put more efforts for fair decision-making
By Rashid Shirinov
Azerbaijan expects from the upcoming visit of the OSCE Minsk Group more serious work for fair decision-making on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Deputy Prime Minister Ali Ahmadov told reporters on June 14.
The OSCE Minsk Group mediators from Russia, France and the United States, who are engaged as a mediator in the conflict resolution, are on a visit to the region this week.
Ahmadov noted that the Minsk Group should not consider its mission complete by only visiting the region. The Minsk Group members have long been operating, but no necessary steps have been taken for fair solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
“They carry out some work, and I don't want to give an unfair assessment of their activities. However, the main work for resolution of the conflict, and improvement of the lives of internally displaced persons has not been done yet. Azerbaijani lands are not liberated, and conditions for the return of Azerbaijanis to their homes have not been created,” Ahmadov said.
He stressed that this is what Azerbaijan expects from the OSCE Minsk Group.
“They have recently made different calls. The main call should be such that this problem would be finally solved, said Ahmadov, stressing that the delay of the conflict resolution means continuation of injustice against people.
He mentioned that the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict increases tension in the region.
The Minsk Group, the activities of which have become known as the Minsk Process, spearheads the OSCE's efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict for about three decades. Unfortunately, its activities have brought no breakthrough results so far.
First Deputy Speaker of Azerbaijani Parliament Ziyafat Asgarov also expressed his dissatisfaction with the work of the OSCE Minsk Group. Asgarov said he expects no positive results from the visit of the co-chairs to the region.
“The OSCE Minsk Group refuses to take responsibility to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, imposing it on opposing sides,” Asgarov said. “The mediators always call on the parties to the conflict to come to an agreement on their own.”
The deputy speaker noted that if Azerbaijan and Armenia could come to an agreement on their own, there would be no need for the Minsk Group.
“The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs should clearly point at Armenia as an aggressor country and demand it to leave the occupied Azerbaijani territories. Otherwise, I expect nothing from them,” Asgarov said.
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.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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