Euro-reporters.com, Belgium
April 18 2005
OSCE’s Nagorno-Karabakh worries
Contributed by David Ferguson
Monday, 18 April 2005
OSCE mission members monitor the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The OSCE’s Minsk Group, which deals with the conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh, is worried about rising casualties on both lines of
the front. The Minsk-Group is concerned by the significant increase,
during recent weeks, of ceasefire violations along the front lines,
resulting in higher numbers of casualties, as well as by public
statements about the possibility of war. “These violations are
causing needless loss of life and jeopardizing the cease-fire,” read
a statement by the group. “References to war are complicating current
efforts to elaborate a peaceful settlement of the conflict, are
fueling feelings of hate in the population of both countries, and are
not preparing the people to live as neighbors rather than enemies.”
The Minsk group’s co-chairs, ambassadors Yuriy Merzlyakov (Russia),
Steven Mann (US) and Bernard Fassier (France), urged both Azerbaijan
and Armenia to reinforce the cease-fire line and refrain from any
public statements that could lead to escalation of the conflict,
which has killed around 30,000. Nagorno-Karabakh has been under
Armenian control for over a decade. The ambassadors also called for
both sides to “… prepare their populations for a balanced
negotiated agreement that will require compromise on both sides”. The
original cease-fire dates from 1994, although a final political
settlement has yet to be reached.
“I encourage all parties to seek the resolution of this issue through
political dialogue. Any means other than those of a peaceful nature
are not part of the OSCE’s vocabulary,” said OSCE chair, Slovenian
Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel. He also called for the stabilization
of the situation along the frontlines. “To defuse the present tension
and start developing confidence between the sides, ceasefire
violations must stop. The personal engagement of the two Presidents
of Azerbaijan and Armenia is an important milestone on the path to
this objective.”
International mediators are stepping up efforts to put an end to the
conflict. The OSCE talks of an Armenian-Azerbaijani summit
‘envisaged’ for mid-May. The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and
Azerbaijan held confidential talks in London last Friday at the US
embassy. Reports suggest that the two Foreign Ministers entered at
different times, thus avoiding a face-to-face meeting.
Last month, in a separate development, Benita Ferrero-Waldner,
European Commissioner for External Relations and European
Neighbourhood Policy, announced closer relations with Azerbaijan and
Armenia: “The European Neighbourhood Policy gives us an opportunity
to take relations with Azerbaijan and Armenia up a gear. Progress in
our relationship will reflect the efforts and successes of the
countries itself”.
In June 2004, Armenia and Azerbaijan (together with Georgia) were
included in the European Neighbourhood Policy, at their request and
following a recommendation made by the European Commission. There
remains, though, very limited regional co-operation in the Southern
Caucasus and the political will for a settlement of the conflict is
low: “As a consequence of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijan
is very reluctant to engage in any co-operation with Armenia, either
on a bilateral basis or within the framework of international
organisations,” notes the European Commission’s report for
Azerbaijan.