The OSCE field assessment mission started its operations in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. Its task is to estimate the situation in Azerbaijani districts occupied by Armenian troops. The mission is headed by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, who have mediated in Azerbaijani-Armenian negotiations for a long time.
The co-chairmen of Minsk Group - Ambassador Bernard Fassier of France, Ambassador Igor Popov of the Russian Federation and Ambassador Robert Bradtke of the United States and Andjey Kasprshik, representative of current OSCE Chairperson-in-Office – had meetings with the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents prior to the field mission. It is worth noting that European diplomats traveled to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic to meet President Aliyev, who was on a working visit to the autonomy, so they could see how the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict affects the residents of this Azerbaijani enclave territory.
OSCE diplomats will spend 3-4 days on the site, and the mission is due to end on October 14. During this period the experts will visit some 5 districts occupied by Armenian troops.
The current mission is the second; the first one was organized in 2005 on Azerbaijan’s initiative. According to Mr Fassier the holding of such a mission is in itself a step forward. He also stressed that the results of the two missions will be carefully compared.
The French diplomat also explained why the route of the mission goes through Armenia: “We managed to cross the front line for the first time in 10 years. As you can remember, last year saw many meetings at the highest level, but now things aren’t going so well. Nevertheless, we want to demonstrate that there is no iron curtain between the states and we can use any route we like. During the past mission we crossed the border from Azerbaijani side, and now it is better to go from Armenian. But a visit to Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijani territory will also be conducted, and you won’t have to wait another 9 years for that”.
The results of the mission will be presented to the conflict parties only in December, when the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents are due to meet at the OSCE summit in Astana.
Due to the OSCE mission, Azerbaijan lifted the issue of the situation in the occupied territories from the UN agenda. However, it is possible, that the Azerbaijani side would like to ask the UN to mediate the conflict instead of the OSCE. The suggestion to introduce an office of UN Envoy to Karabakh has already undergone discussion in Baku. Azerbaijan wants the Minsk Group to impose the Madrid principles as a base for a peace treaty on Yerevan.
Evgeniy Krishtalev. Exclusively for VK
