MP: OSCE Minsk Group's mediation remains important, despite its effectiveness

By AzerNews

Frequent negotiations over the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the regular visits by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to the region have raised hope for the resolution of the problem.

The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group Igor Popov of Russia, Jacques Faure of France, and James Warlick of the U.S. and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk traveled to the region on November 4-5 to continue their efforts to help the two sides find a peaceful resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Commenting on the co-chairs' recent visit, Aydin Mirzazade, an Azerbaijani MP and member of the Political Council of the ruling Yeni (New) Azerbaijan Party, told AzerNews that the co-chairs' visit can be considered as an assessment of this problem as one of the important international issues by the great powers.

Mirzazade said there are many options where territorial disputes and the occupation of part of a country by another is concerned, but for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict there is an institute co-chaired by three major states of the UN Security Council-Minsk Group.

He said that it should be considered the result of Azerbaijan's activity.

"In other words, the co-chairs have only conveyed the positions of the parties to each other, prepared some offers regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and invited parties to the discussion for years," Mirzazade said.

According to Mirzazade, the OSCE Minsk Group's mediation remains important, despite its effectiveness.

"Azerbaijan, of course, would like to see a more active and serious position from the Minsk Group. Despite the fact that Armenia occupied parts of Azerbaijan's territory, the Minsk Group is indifferent to these issues, and puts Azerbaijan and Armenia on the same scale," Mirzazade said.

He said if the issue of conflict resolution was left just to Azerbaijan gand Armenia, then it would remain frozen due to the lack of a long-term relationship, which would not be in Azerbaijan's interests. Thus, Mirzazade believes the Minsk Group's attempts to organize meetings and bring together the sides should be hailed.

"I think the recent meeting was remembered only with the agreement reached on organizing a meeting between the Presidents at the end of the month. The sides haven't met for a long time, and have conveyed their positions to each other only through diplomatic statements. But now there is an urgent need to discuss and clarify positions again," Mirzazade said.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan will meet in late November to discuss the settlement of the long-lasting conflict.

He said that the meeting should be considered positive, because it will allow them to clarify their positions.

"Considering the fact that Azerbaijan's budget is now up to 30 percent, but Armenia is in a more difficult situation, faced with a serious economic crisis and an open demand for the return of the occupied lands by the Armenian society, I think that certain issues can be clarified more deeply at the meeting," Mirzazade said.

Commenting on the discussion of the "independence" of the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" at the Armenian Parliament, Mirzazade said that Armenia will never recognize the "independence" of the Nagorno-Karabakh which it occupies, because this can lead to serious problems for Armenia in the international community.

The bill on the recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent state was recently discussed at the Armenian parliament.

However, the parliamentary majority has boycotted voting on the bill, which is developed by the opposition Heritage party.

He said that discussing this issue in the parliament on the eve of the Presidents' meeting follows the purpose of political pressure.

"Nevertheless, the Armenian ruling circles on one hand it tries to calm its community with discussing the issue, and on the other hand tries to protect its image in the international community," Mirzazade said.

He said that recognizing the "independence" of Nagorno-Karabakh would be Armenia's open disrespect to international law, which would create major problems for the country.

Mirzazade said that, therefore, recognizing the "independence" of Nagorno-Karabakh is impossible, but it seems that Armenia will use this political game against Azerbaijan from time to time.

Armenia captured Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts 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 has continued the occupation in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions calling for an immediate and unconditional withdrawal.

Peace talks mediated by Russia, France and the US have produced no results so far.