Minsk Group`s conciliatory stance main reason for failure of refugees’ return to native lands
The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, which mediates peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan, have no grounds to act as monopolists of the negotiation process.
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Hikmat Hajiyev made the remark while commenting on the recent statement of OSCE regarding the reports made by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe relevant committees on the situation in Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia and resolutions to be adopted at the PACE winter session.
“The OSCE Minsk Group`s interference with the activities of other international organization which is going to contribute to the conflict resolution as well as its interference with the sovereign rights of the state which appealed to the international organization in connection with the issue of serious concern, brings into question the honesty of mediation efforts of the Minsk Group co-chairs and trust and confidence in them,” Hajiyev said.
Reminding that the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group still have not justified the mandate given by the UN Security Council, Hajiyev said no progress has been made for more than 20 years in the settlement of the conflict.
“The military occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia continues, they failed to ensure the return of refugees and internally displaced persons to their native lands. And the main reason of this is the OSCE Minsk group`s conciliatory stance on the continued occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia," Hajiyev said.
He said the co-chairs should take into account the requirements of the UN Security Council's resolutions 822 (1993), 853 (1993), 874 (1993), 884 (1993), as well as the documents of other international organizations concerning the settlement of the conflict
“Azerbaijan praises goodwill activities and the contribution of all international institutions to ensure the elimination of consequences of the Armenian aggression and occupation against Azerbaijan and the restoration of peace and stability in the region in accordance with the norms and principles of international law. In this regard, Azerbaijan will continue its activities in all appropriate organizations,” Hajiyev added.
There are two resolutions on the agenda of the PACE winter session. They are PACE MP Robert Walter’s (UK) report entitled “Escalation of Violence in Nagorno-Karabakh and other occupied territories of Azerbaijan, and PACE MP Milica Marković’s (Bosnia and Herzegovina) report about Sarsang Reservoir in Nagorno-Karabakh, and entitled “Inhabitants of frontier regions of Azerbaijan are deliberately deprived of water.”
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.
Armenia is unwilling to peacefully resolve the long-standing conflict and is interested in and determined to maintain the current status quo that means keeping part of Azerbaijan’s internationally-recognized territory under occupation.
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