Azernews.Az

By Mushvig Mehdiyev

Similar sanctions against the separatists in Ukraine should also be imposed on the separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh regime, Azay Guliyev, Azerbaijani MP, and Deputy Head of the OSCE Parliament Assembly's Committee on Political Issues, said at the meeting of the OSCE PA, on December 4.

He added that the exacerbation of the situation in Ukraine would lead to no good things for the region.

"OSCE PA should restore the activity of the Baku group, which was established to regulate the Ukrainian crisis and intervene in this process," Guliyev said, supporting the European Union's sanctions against the separatists in Ukraine.

Guliyev said the sanctions imposed on the Ukrainian separatists should be viewed as a warning for all separatist regimes in the world. "It is important to invoke the same sanctions against the separatist regime in the Nagorno-Karabakh," he stressed.

On November 29, the European Union stepped up its sanctions over the crisis in Ukraine, covering 13 persons and five entities, which were allegedly involved in actions against Ukraine's territorial integrity. The people, hit by the sanctions, include the officials in the breakaway republics of Lugansk and Donetsk, and those linked to organization of the local elections on November 2, which was denounced as illegitimate by Ukraine and its allies. They will be subject to an asset freeze and an EU travel ban, according to a statement by the EU.

Guliyev went on to say that unfortunately several countries not only avoid imposing sanctions against the Nagorno-Karabakh separatists, but also hold talks with them, fueling their radical separatism. His words hinted to the American Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick's meeting with the representative of so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" in Washington, on December 2, as he referred the separatist regime to a "conflict party."

Guliyev noted that the Helsinki Final Act will turn 40 next year and the OSCE PA should seriously prepare for that anniversary, developing a detailed report on the implementation if its principles.

"Joao Soares, who prepares the mentioned report, should attach particular attention to the violation of the principles in dealing with Azerbaijan, Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine. The OSCE PA, in turn, should adopt a resolution on the prevention of the infringement of the Helsinki Final Act's provisions under its mandate" he said.

The initiative by the Azerbaijani parliamentarian on development of such a resolution was approved by the meeting attendees.

The Helsinki Final Act is an agreement signed by 35 nations, concluding the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe held in Helsinki, Finland in 1975. The act deals with a variety of issues including political and military issues, territorial integrity, borders’ marking, peaceful settlement of disputes and implementation of confidence-building measures between the belligerents.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.