OSCE secretary general: compliance with ceasefire regime necessary condition for settlement of Karabakh conflict

YEREVAN, July 12. /ARKA/. OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier, speaking Thursday at a joint news conference with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan, said that a strict compliance with ceasefire regime on the Armenia-Azerbaijan board and on the contact line in Karabakh is a necessary condition for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. 

Novosti-Armenia News Agency quoted him as saying that urgent steps should be taken to stabilize the situation that arouses concern and to prevent casualties. 

Zannier said the OSCE welcomes the OSCE Minsk Group’s efforts to settle the conflict by peaceful means. 

He voiced concern at the incidents in which border areas’ residents are targeted. He said both sides should refrain from return actions, since they escalate tension. He urged the conflicting sides to remove snipers from the contact line and said that he had said the same also in Baku. 

The OSCE secretary general stressed that the organization will make every effort to support actions to be taken to enhance trust between the sides as part of the arrangement made by Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents in Sochi. 

Edward Nalbandyan, on his side, said that the negotiation with Zannier has confirmed again that the only way to solve Karabakh problem is peace talks. 

He said that Azerbaijani authorities, responding to the Minsk Group co-chairs’ call on Armenia and Azerbaijan for compromise, Baku said it has no intention to make any concession. 

The minister pointed out that the presidents of OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries reiterated recently in Los Cabos that there is no other way for solving the problem but political talks, and just a week later Azerbaijani leadership stated that the country purchased, purchases and will purchase more and more arms and ammunition. 

“The co-chairs propose that a mechanism should be created for investigating incidents, withdrawing snipers and strengthening ceasefire regime to create favorable environment for settling the conflict, while Azerbaijanis say they see no necessity in creating such a mechanism or withdrawing snipers and strengthening the regime, since when the matter is settled there will be no need to do that,” he said. 

Nalbandyan said that Armenia’s present stance is in tune with that of the international community. 

He said Armenia has always reacted adequately to OSCE Minsk Group’s statements and hailed the international community’s efforts expressing willingness to be guided by the community’s principles in searching ways toward settlement, while Azerbaijan has never displayed such willingness. 

They pick out a phrase from the context, he said, and give it their own interpretation.

That is why, he said, the major part of Azerbaijani people believe mistakenly that they can solve the problem by using force.

Nalbandyan doesn’t think that bellicose sentiments dominate in Armenia. “The overwhelming majority of people in Armenia are for peace with Azeris,” he said.-0---