Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

Baku has urged the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to review the steps undertaken so far to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and to ponder over the reasons why the conflict still remains unresolved.

Hikmet Hajiyev, the spokesman of Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry, affirmed that it was high time for the co-chairs to draw conclusions from unsuccessful activities for over two decades and resulting loss of confidence among the public of Azerbaijan and the international community.

Hajiyev made the remark while commenting on the statement released by the OSCE Minsk Group on November 12.

The co-chairs made assurance in their statement that they will continue to render assistance to the parties, taking into account their mandate approved by the OSCE.

“Our task is to promote a peaceful resolution to the conflict and, in particular, to facilitate negotiations on a comprehensive settlement. We are neither judges nor advocates for particular positions,” the co-chairs emphasized.

Hajiyev further added that in the statement, the co-chairs expressed their willingness to cooperate with other international organizations keen on settling the conflict, noting that they are neither judges nor advocates for the conflicting sides.

"The outlook of the co-chairs being in monopolistic position in the negotiation process to reach an appropriate resolution and the report of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, as well as fundamental documents on the settlement of the conflict of other international organizations, in fact, once again demonstrated the extent of their 'readiness' to cooperate with other international organizations,” he affirmed.

Hajiyev noted that as part of the negotiation process, the co-chairs are required to be neither judges nor advocates but only to ensure the implementation of the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly, documents of the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of Islamic Conference, the PACE, as well as the relevant decisions of the European Court of Human Rights concerning the settlement of the conflict, reflecting the will of the international community.

These documents, in particular, the resolutions of the UN Security Council - 822, 853, 874, and 884 - constitute a political and legal basis for the settlement of the conflict.

“I would like to remind that according to the document on the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group dated March 23, 1995, the activities undertaken by the co-chairs should be based on the relevant UN Security Council's resolutions and the decisions reached at the Budapest summit of the OSCE. The co-chairs must report on the implementation of the resolutions to the UN secretary general and the president of the UN Security Council,” Hajiyev underlined.

“In the context of the facts of occupation and aggression, the co-chairs’ statement that there is a need for decisions from both sides in connection with the settlement of the conflict is nothing but avoiding responsibility and contrary to their mandate,” Hajiyev pointed out.

He remarked that this stance adopted by the OSCE Minsk Group only serves the interests of Armenia, ensures the continued occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia, and the current inadmissible status quo, which was noted in the statement issued by the OSCE Minsk Group.

The official stressed that Azerbaijan will continue to coordinate with international institutions intending to contribute to the settlement of the conflict in accordance with the UN Charter and will utilize all opportunities to ensure territorial integrity and sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders.

Armenia has occupied more than 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, having made territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor, which led to a lengthy war in the early 1990s.

Yerevan has also not yet implemented the UN Security Council's resolutions on its pullout from the neighboring country's territories. Moreover, peace talks mediated by Russia, France, and the United States, through the OSCE Minsk Group and on the basis of the Madrid Principles, have been largely fruitless.

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Sara Rajabova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @SaraRajabova

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