Azernews.Az

By Nazrin Gadimova

The OSCE Minsk Group, created for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict could not find a way out of the situation for almost 22 years. This long-lasting collision has acquired the status of the frozen conflict as a result of the incorrect tactics of the organization.

The current situation is absolutely unacceptable for Azerbaijan, which repeatedly stated its dissatisfaction with the Minsk Group activities. The co-chairs of the Group continue to make monotonous statements on the settlement of the conflict. Unfortunately, these statements do not reflect the actual situation.

Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier affirms that Germany (which took over the OSCE Chairmanship in 2016) supports intensifying talks on resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the OSCE Minsk Group format.

In his interview to local media, Steinmeier said that creating a mechanism for clarifying the circumstances of ceasefire violations would be an important step toward the settlement of the long-lasting conflict.

Steinmeier’s position does not differ from the unconstructive and counterproductive position that the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group stand for, Member of the Azerbaijani Parliament Rasim Musabeyov believes.

“It would be an illusion to believe that it is possible to strengthen the existing ceasefire in the absence of progress in the conflict settlement,” Musabeyov told AzerNews.

The member of the parliament believes that it is unacceptable for Azerbaijan to allow any peacekeeping organization that will further exacerbate the conflict.

“They do not care that almost 800,000 Azerbaijanis were driven out from Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. This position is unacceptable for Azerbaijan,” Musabeyov concluded.

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 the UN Security Council's four resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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

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