James Warlick: "The return of territories should be an element of a comprehensive settlement"

The co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group are continuing negotiations to find a peaceful solution to the Karabakh problem. Yesterday, Igor Popov (Russia), James Warlick (USA), Pierre Andre (France) and Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman Andrzej Kasprzyk held a meeting in Yerevan with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

"From Yerevan, together with the co-chairmen, I'm going to Vienna, where we will make a report to the OSCE, and then we will go to Baku, where we will meet with the president already on Thursday," James Warlick explained.

At a press conference in Yerevan, he expressed the view that a "final solution of the conflict is impossible without determining the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. In addition to determination of the status, expression of the free will of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh is needed. This is exactly what we mean by a comprehensive settlement. And one of the elements of this settlement will be the return of the territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. This is a subject for negotiations."

The OSCE Minsk Group remains the main platform for the negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. However, despite the efforts of international mediators, the conflict remains unresolved for more than 20 years. 20% of the territory of Azerbaijan is still under the occupation of the Armenian armed forces – the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Warlick expressed his hope that a meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents will take place this year: "It is necessary to discuss all the details, looking at the maps of the countries. The presidents are talking about the principles and elements that will be in agreement. I hope that we are moving to the point where we will sit down at the negotiating table and systematically work out a lot of questions. We will organize a meeting of the presidents, hoping that it will contribute to a political settlement of the conflict."

At the same time, according to the US co-chairman, the Minsk Group is very concerned about the lack of trust on both sides: "The lack of trust is an obstacle in the way of achieving a political settlement. Restoration of confidence will not happen in one day, it is a very long process. Recently, Armenians and Azerbaijanis lived side by side in peace, raised families, worked together. But those days are gone. There is a new generation of Armenians and Azerbaijanis who are not in contact with each other. We need to change that. It is necessary to hold conferences, we need people, programs which enable them to restore their trust in each other. And if we want a lasting solution, it should not be just words on paper. The settlement must be based on trust, on the understanding of the people of both countries."

Talking about the political settlement, Warlick said that it should include several important elements: "The freely expressed will of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh. The return of the territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. The creation of conditions for the return of refugees and internally displaced persons to their homes. In addition, there should be real, true, protected guarantees as a part of any agreement, and that means the presence of international peacekeeping forces. We must carefully consider all these details in order to reach a political settlement and to satisfy the interests of all people in the region."

Replying to a question about compensation for the housing of the Armenians who left the territory of Azerbaijan, Warlick reminded that Azerbaijani refugees from Armenia have no fewer questions: "These issues are on the agenda and will be discussed. The problem of refugees and migration is very complex. And I welcome the process of resolving these problems in the framework of the negotiating process on the conflict settlement. The last time I was in Baku I visited a refugee settlement and met with refugees from Zangelan. They also asked a lot of questions about the problems that they have in connection with the return. And just today I listened to Armenian refugees, who also said that these issues need to be discussed."

Talking about what impact the reaching of the agreement on the Iranian nuclear program could have on the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh, Warlick said: "First of all, you need to clearly understand what consequences the agreement reached in Vienna will have. We would like the entire region to remain peaceful, democratic and prosperous. And that applies to all the neighbors of Armenia."