Minsk group is coming back

Baku/16.04.21/Turan: On April 13, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs issued a statement expressing their readiness to return to the region. They expressed satisfaction with the strengthening of the ceasefire.

The Co-Chairs called on the parties to facilitate the return of prisoners of war and other prisoners in accordance with the provisions of international humanitarian law in order to resolve problematic issues and create a favorable atmosphere of mutual trust for long-term peace, exchange all information necessary for effective demining of conflict zones, lifting restrictions on entry to Nagorno-Karabakh, including representatives of international humanitarian organizations, preservation of religious, and cultural heritage. They recalled that additional efforts are needed for confidence-building measures between conflict-affected communities and other peoples, such as the development of direct contacts and cooperation.

In conclusion, the Minsk Group co-chairs reiterated their proposals on organizing direct bilateral consultations under their supervision.

The Co-Chairs stressed their readiness to resume business travel to the region, including Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent regions, to fulfill the role of assessment and mediation. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, receiving the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group on December 12 last year, said that Azerbaijan had resolved the conflict, which lasted almost 30 years.

According to the president, the Minsk Group did not play any role in resolving the conflict. "This is despite the fact that the Minsk Group had a corresponding mandate for this for 28 years. Although the Minsk Group has certain activities aimed at new ideas and creativity, nevertheless, this has not yielded any results," he said.

On April 13, President Ilham Aliyev, answering questions at the international conference "New Look at the South Caucasus: Post-Conflict Development and Cooperation" at the ADA University, said that the composition of the Minsk Group and internal relations have always been their priority.

“First of all, we must know the position of the co-chairs - Russia, the United States of America and France. How do they see the future activities of the Minsk Group? Because they are co-chairs of this structure. This is our position. Is there a need for a group activity that should help resolve the conflict after it has been resolved? I don't know,” he said.

At the same time, the President stressed that “we cannot say that we no longer need the Minsk Group, you can leave”.

"Not. Why should I say this? I asked them to think diplomatically and be creative. They have been very creative during these 29 years. Let them be a little creative," he said. Ilham Aliyev noted that they could play a role in the post-conflict situation in some areas.  

"Not as a group that must resolve the conflict. Here I completely disagree with some representatives of the Minsk Group. They say that the conflict must be resolved. The conflict has already been resolved," the president said. Ilham Aliyev stressed that they should not do anything that could strike a blow at this fragile world.

“They should not make unrealistic promises to Armenia; they should be neutral, impartial and should try to close this situation. If we talk about a future peace treaty with Armenia, that is, if Armenia is considering such an option, then in this case there may be many opportunities for the international parties. There are questions of demarcation, delimitation, interaction. We are part of the international community, we are a member of the OSCE, and the OSCE plays a special role in the region. This is why I think they might be useful. However, they have not visited us for a long time. I hope that they will soon come with certain proposals, and of course we will consider these proposals, giving them due attention,” Aliyev said.

Can the OSCE Minsk Group join the process again? If it joins, will it bring any benefit to this process?

The current behavior of the OSCE Minsk Group resembles one story, a Member of the Milli Mejlis Committee on International Relations and Interparliamentary Relations Sabir Rustamkhanli told Turan. "Two children are fighting in the garden, and one of them falls. To hide the embarrassment, the child gets up and says, "Oh, I found a hazelnut." The OSCE's activities for almost 30 years have been reminiscent of this story.” The member of the committee says that the structure did nothing to resolve the conflict, was unable to move forward in the negotiations.

“We understand that this is a difficult issue, they also allegedly act within the framework of international norms, trying to satisfy both sides. However, there are no both sides here. One of these sides is the occupiers, and the other is those whose lands are occupied. Unfortunately, the OSCE and a number of European countries do not consider the issue in this plane. During the discussions, they consider Azerbaijan and Armenia almost at the same level,” he said. S. Rustamkhanli stressed that the Azerbaijani army liberated the occupied lands within the framework of international law.

“The OSCE Minsk Group has three legs. One of them, Russia, in order not to completely lose its position, sent peacekeepers here under various pretexts, messages - a bomb, an “Iskander”, statements like "All Armenians cannot be withdrawn from Nagorno-Karabakh." However, Azerbaijan was not going to withdraw the civilian population living there. Two other members of the Minsk Group - France and the United States - are out of the game and certainly want to come and join Russia,” he said.

According to the deputy, the practical side of the issue has been resolved: "The Azerbaijani army has shown that even without the OSCE, we can liberate our lands. A peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia will be concluded sooner or later. If the borders are opened, Armenia, thinking about its future, should establish normal neighborly relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey. The Minsk Group wants to have their share of mediation. They do not refuse statements about the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, about the status of Armenians there. Azerbaijan has already completed this issue. They are looking for other reasons; supposedly, Christian monuments are being destroyed. This is all a reason."

Chair of the Society for Humanitarian Research, conflict expert Avaz Hasanov told Radio “Azadlig” that the region needs the OSCE Minsk Group. "But in a different way. Because after 1994 Azerbaijan was a losing party in the war, and the OSCE Minsk Group tried to resolve this conflict through negotiations. Now Azerbaijan is the winning party in this conflict, and the OSCE Minsk Group should try for Armenia to negotiate find a solution to the problem. That is, Azerbaijan has already solved its problem. "

The expert noted that there are territories inhabited by Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, and Azerbaijan is thinking about reintegrating them someday. This is stated in the speech of the President. Therefore, there is a need for the OSCE Minsk Group. Because they are intermediaries. Russia's sole mediation is not beneficial for either Azerbaijan or Armenia. Therefore, both countries should be interested in the presence of such an OSCE format as the Minsk Group.

According to the conflictologist, the composition of the institution's structure does not play such a serious role: "The composition of the OSCE Minsk Group is the most optimal if France leaves. That is, Russia, the United States and Europe are represented here. Another format is more complicated. The format of the Minsk Group can be changed by agreement of both conflicting parties. This format cannot be changed alone."

A. Hasanov believes that the OSCE Minsk Group will return if it wants to return to the region. “Keeping them too far from the region will be impossible. In particular, Azerbaijan needs the OSCE Minsk Group for a long-term negotiation process and a process of reintegration in the post-conflict period. I think they can return to the region in the near future in a new way, "he said. —0—