OSCE CiO: int’l community mustn’t allow protraction of conflicts

February 25, 2014 - 18:59 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, the President of the Swiss Confederation, Didier Burkhalter welcomed the Organization’s long-term objectives and priorities in resolution of protracted conflicts in Europe.

At the New-York hosted UN Security Council meeting, the OSCE chief urged the international community to prevent protraction of Georgia’s status quo as well as Karabakh or Transnistrian conflicts. As he noted, the two Special Representatives for the South Caucasus and Moldova, respectively should assist the parties in these conflicts to identify and implement steps that will promote peaceful settlements. According to Burkhalter, the U.S., as the most active member of the Organization, stays true to its mission and welcomes the UN-coordinated actions to continue the peace dialogue.

Also, according to the website of the Permanent Mission of Rwanda to the UN, Deputy Permanent Representative, Olivier Nduhungirehe welcomes the OSCE role in the settlement of the regional conflicts.

“Allow me also to appreciate the important role the OSCE is currently playing in facilitating various processes aimed at settling crises and conflicts in its region. Especially the continued efforts of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group to mediate on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Rwanda obviously supports the position contained in the Joint Statement of the Presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair Countries issued on 18 June 2013, which reiterated that “only a negotiated settlement can lead to peace, stability, and reconciliation, opening opportunities for regional development and cooperation”,” Nduhungirehe said.

The Co-chairs (Ambassadors Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Jacques Faure of France, and James Warlick of the United States of America) and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, traveled to Baku and Yerevan Feb 4-5.

In Baku, the Co-chairs met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and in Yerevan they met with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan. In both capitals, they had consultations with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense.

At the meeting with Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, the Co-chairs shared impressions of the Baku visit, with the Armenian official stressing the necessity of preventing Azeri provocations. As he noted, Yerevan supports the Co-chairs’ stance that escalation of tensions at the line of contact undermines success of the peace talks.

With the Presidents, the Co-chairs discussed the outcome of the Foreign Ministers' recent meeting in Paris, and stressed the need for further progress on the substance of negotiations on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. They emphasized the need to continue negotiations at the highest level, as was agreed in Vienna.

In their talks, the Co-chairs reiterated their deep concern over the recent escalation on the Line of Contact and the border, and called on the sides to exercise restraint in their actions and rhetoric. The sides stated their intention to strengthen observance of the ceasefire and avoid further escalation.

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The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out as result of the ethnic cleansing launched by the Azeri authorities in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions are now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.