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“We see certain positive progress toward reforms and democracy in the South Caucasus countries, but flash points of tensions and conflicts delay these processes,” said OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Latvian Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis in an interview with DELFI news agency, APA reports.
The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office said his recent visit to the region was useful in terms of collecting necessary information and evaluating opportunities in the South Caucasus to move the conflict settlements forward.
“Regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, personally I was convinced after the [three presidents’] Sochi meeting that there’s some room for progress. The Minsk Group is working, despite the fact that its Co-Chairs are often criticized, and they are criticized because critics have no information on their activities. The fact that they propose the Russian president as a mediator to the parties, I think, creates a serious basis for progress.
“But the Minsk Group will not solve the problems of the parties. It can offer various plans, but if there is no political will on all sides, no one will move the situation toward resolution.
As reported earlier, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office had said the removal of snipers on the front lines would lead to positive results.
“Coincidentally, when I arrived, an Azeri boy was killed. The next day, when I was going to Armenia, an Armenian soldier was killed. The existence of snipers will bring neither political nor military success to either side. I suggested to Armenia to unilaterally withdraw snipers to set an example, but I was refused as I was in Azerbaijan.
“Well, both parties agreed in Sochi to establish certain mechanisms that would allow us to at least investigate incidents on the Line of Contact. After the aforementioned unfortunate events, I asked my representative on Nagorno-Karabakh to go investigate these events.
“While in Armenia and Azerbaijan, I also expressed concern that both parties are being heavily armed, which indicates a lack of confidence, while negotiations take place only when there is no tension,” he said, reports 1news.az.