Change the attitude or the format
Elmira Tariverdieva, Baku. Exclusively for "VK"
In late March, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) marked 20 years since the creation of the Minsk Group - the format for the mediation of the Karabakh conflict. The composition of the OSCE Minsk Group, that organizes negotiations with the parties of the conflict, has changed several times over the years. Now it includes Jacques Faure of France, Igor Popov of Russia and the U.S. Ambassador, Robert Bradtke. The agenda of the Minsk Group still includes the status of Karabakh, security, refugees and internally-displaced persons. Yet, in twenty years, there has not been much progress in the conflict resolution. However, the co-chairs do believe that the negotiating process is quite intensive. "Azerbaijan and Armenia might be closer to reaching an agreement about the resolution of the conflict than they believe, but because of the crisis of trust it is hard to see it," Robert Bradtke said to "Radio Liberty".
However, considering the absence of any noticeable progress in the de-occupation of Azerbaijani lands and the return of refugees, as well as fairly sharp rebukes on both sides of the conflict, the peace treaty is not a real option now. The statement by the Foreign Ministers of Russia and France, and the U.S. Secretary of State on the twentieth anniversary of the MG shows that the co-chair countries see the futility of negotiations and the unacceptability of the status quo. "We remind you that most of the effects of the war affected the people living in the region, and that any delay in the settlement only prolongs their misery," the statement of the Foreign Ministers reads.
Today it is necessary to admit that, despite the frequent visits of the OSCE Minsk Group to the region and regular meetings with the authorities of Azerbaijan and Armenia over 20 years of sometimes intense, but often frustrating diplomatic process, the territorial dispute over Karabakh has not moved. Those who have suffered most from the standstill in the negotiations groan - Azerbaijan, therefore, has started to show impatience in recent years. According to Baku, the timeline of the resolution should be defined. "During each visit to the region, the co-chairs make promises, but we have not seen the fulfillment of these promises," deputy chairman and executive secretary of the ruling party "Yeni Azerbaijan" Ali Akhmedov said.
Not surprisingly, it is Azerbaijan that poses the question of whether the MG format makes sense. Azerbaijan has a serious problem - almost one million refugees and displaced persons, who for 20 years have not been able to return to their homes. Baku has waited for years for the implementation of four UN resolutions that call on Armenia to withdraw its troops from the occupied Azerbaijani territories, but the Yerevan government does everything to maintain the status quo as long as possible.
The period of stagnation in the negotiations satisfies the authorities of Armenia, who see Karabakh as another Armenian state and do not want to change anything. Baku believes that Yerevan is just creating a semblance of activity, expressing readiness for formal negotiations, but does not want to take any action. Azerbaijan, which has repeatedly expressed concern over the protracted process, can unilaterally withdraw from the negotiations in this format, making the existence of the MG absolutely senseless.
Baku demands the mediation format of the OSCE to become more active, instead of creating an illusion of activity. Any delay in the unresolved conflict affects the entire region and the lives of one million Azerbaijani refugees, who seem to be forgotten by the international community. If the Karabakh conflict breaks out again (and it will certainly happen if there is no progress for in the next few years), then it will affect both Russia and Turkey and European countries that have high expectations for energy projects involving Caspian gas. Baku believes that this prospect should concern the leaders of the countries of the OSCE Minsk Group and make them use all political resources to help the parties find a solution to the conflict based on international law.
"Today, the situation is very negative, as the international community, believing perhaps that the OSCE is doing all it can, shuts his eyes to the actual values of the neglect of international relations values in the same region. The principle of territorial integrity - one of the postulates that have not been challenged in the modern world – is now relegated to the question of negotiations, which should not have happened at all, " Baku believes. It is a positive development that the OSCE ambassadors regularly visit the region, meet with the leaders of both countries, monitor contact line between the parties, however, the lack of results of the negotiations suggests that the effort of the MG was insufficient . Perhaps realizing this, Russia and personally Dmitry Medvedev for three years was trying to resolve this issue with some other methods that really brought more results. Dmitry Medvedev in 2008 assumed the role of mediator between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia. One of the most important stages of the negotiations was the adoption of the Moscow Declaration. This is the first and only document on the settlement, which bears the signatures of Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia. Today, after the failed summit of OSCE when the parties of the Karabakh conflict are not one step closer to a peace treaty, it seems that this format brought more results than twenty years of mediation in the OSCE Minsk Group".
