London would prefer to see multinational peacekeeping forces in Nagorno-Karabakh rather than just a Russian contingent. This is what UK Ambassador to Baku James Sharp told BBC Azerbaijan.
Sharp also declared the need for exchange of mine maps and prisoners of war and care for cultural heritage which each side is trying to use for political purposes to prove primacy in the region.
According to Sharp, the UK would prefer to see the OSCE Minsk Group lead negotiations over the ceasefire and to see an international peacekeeping contingent. Moreover, he positively assessed the agenda of the negotiations of Baku, Yerevan and Moscow over the unblocking of transport links and economic cooperation in the region.
The diplomat also admitted that the status of Nagorno-Karabakh remains undetermined, adding that the issue of a final settlement (peace treaty) must be solved and the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group must play a role in this.
Sharp emphasized that the efforts of the UK, which isn’t a part of the Group, are aimed at overcoming the consequences of the war and supporting humanitarian and international organizations operating in the region, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, the UNICEF and the UNDP.