Mediators `unwilling` to pressure Armenia
Azerbaijani First Vice-Speaker Ziyafat Asgarov said
Tuesday that the latest developments have shown reluctance of the
countries co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group (MG) brokering
settlement to the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict to influence
Armenia, which has been occupying part of Azerbaijan`s territory
for nearly two decades.
``The MG co-chair countries have proven that they could put pressure on Armenia but don`t want to do so,`` Asgarov said.
Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a cease-fire in 1994, but Armenia continues to occupy Upper Garabagh and seven adjacent Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law. Despite numerous rounds of OSCE-brokered negotiations, peace talks have been without results so far.
The vice-speaker reminded that senior officials of all the three MG co-chairing countries - the United States, Russia and France - attended the signing of protocols on normalizing Turkey-Armenia relations in Zurich on October 10, which shows that it is possible to influence Yerevan any time.
``They can even tell them `withdraw your troops from Garabagh`. On issues of their concern, they get together and solve the problem. All this shows that superpowers are failing to observe international law,`` Asgarov said.
The signing of the Turkey-Armenia protocols -- which aims o establish diplomatic ties and open their sealed border after a century of enmity -- had been delayed for several hours due to the sides` differences over each other`s statements. Russia`s Kommersant newspaper reported that tensions were allayed with the aid of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. At the last minute, Lavrov passed on a note to his Armenian counterpart Eduard Nalbandian saying ``Just sign it and go!`` and the latter had to comply.
Asgarov accused the mediators of failing to move Garabagh settlement forward, saying the MG co-chairs have been visiting the region for 15 years as ``tourists``, and there is no progress in the conflict resolution.
``But when the Turkish-Armenian protocols were being signed in Zurich, Clinton [US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton] from Washington, Lavrov from Moscow and Kouchner [French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner] from Paris all gathered there. I am asking the co-chairing countries` ministers: were you instructed to observe the protocols` signing in Zurich or to carry out your mission on the Upper Garabagh conflict settlement?``
``The MG co-chair countries have proven that they could put pressure on Armenia but don`t want to do so,`` Asgarov said.
Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a cease-fire in 1994, but Armenia continues to occupy Upper Garabagh and seven adjacent Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law. Despite numerous rounds of OSCE-brokered negotiations, peace talks have been without results so far.
The vice-speaker reminded that senior officials of all the three MG co-chairing countries - the United States, Russia and France - attended the signing of protocols on normalizing Turkey-Armenia relations in Zurich on October 10, which shows that it is possible to influence Yerevan any time.
``They can even tell them `withdraw your troops from Garabagh`. On issues of their concern, they get together and solve the problem. All this shows that superpowers are failing to observe international law,`` Asgarov said.
The signing of the Turkey-Armenia protocols -- which aims o establish diplomatic ties and open their sealed border after a century of enmity -- had been delayed for several hours due to the sides` differences over each other`s statements. Russia`s Kommersant newspaper reported that tensions were allayed with the aid of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. At the last minute, Lavrov passed on a note to his Armenian counterpart Eduard Nalbandian saying ``Just sign it and go!`` and the latter had to comply.
Asgarov accused the mediators of failing to move Garabagh settlement forward, saying the MG co-chairs have been visiting the region for 15 years as ``tourists``, and there is no progress in the conflict resolution.
``But when the Turkish-Armenian protocols were being signed in Zurich, Clinton [US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton] from Washington, Lavrov from Moscow and Kouchner [French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner] from Paris all gathered there. I am asking the co-chairing countries` ministers: were you instructed to observe the protocols` signing in Zurich or to carry out your mission on the Upper Garabagh conflict settlement?``
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