Azernews.Az

By Laman Ismayilova

The activity of the OSCE Minsk Group, engaged in the peace talks on the long-lasting Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, is an object of criticism and reason for dissatisfaction of Azerbaijan.

Russian political analyst Konstantin Kalachev believes that this is a fair discontent, as the ‘trio’ of international mediators representing the U.S., Russia and France, is actually inactive.

Baku expresses dissatisfaction with the activities of the OSCE Minsk Group for a reason, he told Day.Az.

“I totally agree with those Azerbaijani experts, who say that any settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict - it does not matter in whose favor it is - automatically deprives bureaucrats from OSCE very profitable sinecures. Their logic is that the process is all, the goal is nothing,” he said, noting that the OSCE Minsk Group countries will act only under the threat of war.

Armenia captured Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions from Azerbaijan in a war that followed the Soviet breakup in 1991. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and nearly 1 million were displaced as a result of the war.

Large-scale hostilities ended with a Russia-brokered ceasefire in 1994 but Armenia continued the occupation in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions calling for immediate and unconditional withdrawal. Peace talks mediated by Russia, France, and the U.S. have produced no results so far.

Kalachev, commenting on Russia’s weapon supply to Armenia, said that Moscow should carry out adequate and equal policy towards Azerbaijan and Armenia.

“The balance of forces in the region meets interests of all, who are interested in a diplomatic rather than a military solution to the problems that occur,” he said.

Baku has repeatedly stated that Armenia carries out illegal activities, including drug trafficking in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, including Nagorno-Karabakh. Moreover, Armenia shelters representatives of various terrorist organizations, including the PKK on these territories, and this causes damage to the national security, but also has a negative impact on regional security.

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