A top official of the OSCE, the Vienna-based security watchdog, on Thursday expressed hope for "new efforts" on Nagorno-Karabakh peace negotiations, urging to bolster regional ties amid the crisis in Ukraine.
In an interview with Turan's Washington DC correspondent, Lamberto Zannier, the OSCE Secretary General, said, as the world focuses its attention on Russia's aggression in Ukraine over the past few months, it is worth reflecting on the Caucasus region at a moment as well, to prevent it from possible escalation of the territorial tensions and promote confidence-building measures.
"Although Caucasus is being quite at the moment, some of the things that we hear over self-determination are disturbing... They may come back and hunt us in the future," he emphasized.
The international mediators under the umbrella of the OSCE are currently traveling to the Nagorno-Karabakh region to prepare for the next high-level meeting of the conflict sides.
Zannier told TURAN that the Minsk Group will be "pushing for more dialog and more contacts between the presidents [of Azerbaijan and Armenia.] "
"That is the best way," he added. "It seems to me that there is an opportunity really to start talking about peace in the South Caucasus."
He expressed hope for a "predictive new start of dynamic meetings" between Azerbaijani and Armenian nations.
Zannier, who yesterday got re-appointed as OSCE Secretary General for another three years, currently is visiting Washington DC to discuss the unfolding crisis in Ukraine.
He was in Kiev last week to oversee efforts that succeeded in freeing seven OSCE military inspectors who had been held by the pro-Russian rebels as "NATO spies".
Russia and the West have agreed that the OSCE should play a lead role in trying to defuse the crisis in the region.
Speaking to TURAN, he said, it's "important for the dialogue to continue in Ukraine, but it shouldn't be forced".
He also made it clear that the OSCE certainly doesn't run an agenda of a group of countries... "We try to be right in the middle..."
Alakbar Raufoglu
Washington, DC
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