Azernews.Az

By Nazrin Gadimova

Azerbaijan and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) exchange views on the current state and prospects for developing the relations, as Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Southern Caucasus, Guenther Baechler visits Baku for high-level talks.

During the meeting with Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, the parties discussed Germany's priorities as the current chair of the OSCE, as well as exchanged views over the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.

Mammadyarov stated that Armenia intends inflict damage to the negotiating process through the various provocative attempts, maintain the status quo, which is based on occupation and aggression and to annex Azerbaijani territories.

The country-aggressor puts on the agenda an issue of investigation of incidents on the contact line between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops and thus tries to divert attention from the negotiating process, the foreign minister added.

For over two decades, Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in conflict which emerged over Armenia's territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions.

The OSCE Minsk Group, which acted as the only mediator in resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict for over 20 years, failed to move forward in resolving the long lasting conflict.

Mammadyarov further emphasized the importance of the contribution of all Minsk Group Member States to the settlement of the conflict, including holding meetings with the participation of all members.

Guenther Baechler, in turn, noted that Germany pays particular attention to the settlement of the long lasting conflict that constitutes the main threat for the regional peace and security.

The OSCE Minsk Group, which was established back in 1994, is co-chaired by France, the Russian Federation, and the United States. The group’s permanent members are Belarus, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Finland, and Turkey, as well as Armenia and Azerbaijan.

During the Baku visit, Baechler also met deputy chair of the Azerbaijani Parliament and head of country’s delegation to the OSCE PA.

Addressing the meeting, Bahar Muradova said that Azerbaijan is ready to cooperate with the OSCE in all areas, particularly in such spheres as economy, security and human rights.

“Our country made serious contribution to this organization in these fields," she added.

Stressing the importance of Baechler’s Baku visit in terms of developing relations between the sides, Muradova said that cooperation with all bodies of the OSCE is a priority for the country, adding that “we have always tried to prove our commitment to the OSCE values.”

Touching upon the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Muradova said Armenia is trying to keep the status quo.

“Of course, we do not think that within a year of its activity Germany will reach the absolute solution to this issue. However, we believe that you will take steps to address this issue. Azerbaijan has been living with this problem for many years and is committed to its solution,” she emphasized.

Baechler, in turn, highlighted key priorities of the OSCE during Germany’s presidency, adding that it is necessary to conduct a serious analysis and study to resolve the conflict.

As it took over the rotating OSCE Chairmanship in 2016, Germany voiced commitment to working towards solving the protracted conflicts in the OSCE region, including the long-standing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which is source of threat for security in the South Caucasus region.

Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Frank-Walter Steinmeier asserted that his country will make the best use of the OSCE’s current negotiating formats and mechanisms in resolving the conflicts.

In order the resolutions of the international structures connected with settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have been implemented, serious pressure has to be put upon Armenia, and it is necessary to use sanctions against it.

This was stated at the meeting of the Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the State Committee on Affairs of Refugees and IDPs Ali Hasanov with the delegation headed by Baechler.

Reminding regular meetings and wide exchange of views with OSCE Representatives on the questions connected with the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, Hasanov expressed confidence that the discussions would yield positive results.

“Unfortunately, all these resolutions remain on paper. We hope that requirements of these resolutions will be fulfilled. But if to pay attention to the processes happening today in the world, one can think that settlement of this conflict will take away a lot of time”, he stressed.

Having expressed satisfaction in connection with his visit to Baku, Gunther Bächler noted that Azerbaijan, more than twenty years being in the condition of the conflict, holding long-term negotiations on its solution, has passed very difficult distance. He informed that the purpose of his visit to Azerbaijan consists in detailed studying of the processes happening in the region, carrying out mutual exchange of views.

Gunther Bächler expressed confidence that active cooperation of OSCE with the country would make positive contribution to settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

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Nazrin Gadimova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @NazrinGadimova

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