WHETHER THE OSCE MINSK GROUP HAS EXHAUSTED ITSELF
Vardan Grigoryan

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
11 Sep 2008
Armenia

Following the Russian-Georgian armed conflict and the recognition
of the independence of South Ossietia and Abkhazia, both the leaders
of separate counties and the political scientists made hints on the
expediency of replacing the OSCE Minsk Group format by another form
of mediation.

It doesn’t even make sense to discuss the fact that such prospect is
now simply impermissible for the United States which is represented
in the trilateral format of the OSCE Minsk Group. This may deprive
the country of the serious role it played during the past years
in the settlement of the "longest" and perhaps the most complex
post-Soviet conflict.

Therefore, it is not accidental that during his recent visit to Baku,
Vice President Dick Chainy clearly announced that the Madrid Principles
elaborated by the OSCE Minsk Group continued to remain in force for
the United States.

The same can be said about France which, as a member state of the
OSCE Minsk Group, represents the European Union, a body interested
in settling all the South Caucasian conflicts exclusively by peaceful
methods.

As regards Russia, Moscow obviously stipulates the issue of maintaining
the OSCE MG format – a most serious lever of the superpowers’ influence
and cooperation in the Caucasus, by its partners’ furth er attitude
towards the Russian-Georgian conflict. And it is quite natural and
conceivable as a component of the tactical game. But it can never be
perceived as an expression of a change in strategy.

Therefore, in view of the fact that the West is gradually turning
away from the Georgian leader (who has created serious problems for
it), Russia is unlikely to take separate steps in the process of the
settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

Such boldness also implies relevant responsibility for the final
results of the settlement of a conflict which will eventually arouse
dissatisfaction both among the Armenians and the Azeris, who will
spill out all their anger to Moscow.

And it is not absolutely accidental that commenting upon Abdullah
Gul’s desire of acting as a mediator between the Armenian and Azeri
Presidents, Svante Kornel, European Expert on Caucasian Issues and
Co-Chair of the Security and Development Policy Institute of Stockholm,
recently announced that "Russia, which is a co-chairing country of
the OSCE Minsk Group and desires to maintain the existing format,
will not allow any intervention by Turkey."

A question arises as to why in that case Turkish President Abdullah Gul
states that "the OSCE Minsk Group did not manage to attain significant
results during the 17 years of its existence" and is persistently
trying to assume the role of a mediator between the Armenian and
Azeri Presidents. Isn’t this Turkey’s desire to compromise the OSCE
MG format and replace it by penetrating into the region?

The answer to this question was given yesterday by Yuri Merzlyakov,
the Russian Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, who particularly said,
"Acting as a member of the OSCE Minsk Group, Turkey can play an
important role as a mediator between the Armenian and Azeri Presidents,
however, it depends upon the desire of the parties." Moreover,
Mr. Merzlyakov’s words made it clear that the proposal on changing the
format of the OSCE Minsk Group had been elaborated by the Azerbaijani
Foreign Ministry and lobbyist groups, but "the Russian side has not
made any statement of the kind."

That’s what it’s all about. So we see how wittily and promptly
the state and political circles of Azerbaijan work. Baku is
immediately trying to take advantage of the existing problems in
the Russian-American relations and the positive course of the
Russian-Turkish dialogue for torpedoing the format of the OSCE
Minsk Group.