Paris in haste to make progress in solving Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

By Azernews

By Rashid Shirinov

France bears special responsibility for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement as an OSCE Minsk Group co-chair country along with the U.S. and Russia, said French President Francois Hollande.

President Hollande made the remarks at the annual dinner of the Coordination Council of the Armenian Organizations in France on February 9, massispost.com news website reported.

 “We are in haste, and haste really exists, to find a solution to this issue since the dreadful incidents of April 2-4 of the last year reminded us that every day or nearly every day death cases are recorded in Karabakh,” the president said. “Therefore, we have to act to prevent clashes.”

The situation on the frontline aggravated on April 2, 2016, after the Armenian military units in the occupied lands began shelling Azerbaijan’s positions. To protect civilian population, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces launched counter attacks and as a result, the Azerbaijani troops retook hills around the village of Talish, as well as Seysulan settlement, and also took over Lele Tepe hill located in the direction of Fizuli region.

Azerbaijan and Armenia declared a truce brokered by Russia on April 5, 2016. However, Armenia continued to breach the ceasefire.

Hollande added that he plans to discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan during his visit to Paris scheduled for March 8.

The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway territory of Azerbaijan, has continued for about 30 years, following the Armenia’s territorial claims against Azerbaijan in 1988. The military conflict, characterized by violence against civilians and ethnic cleansing, resulted in the injury, death, and disappearance of thousands of people, ended with occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions.

While the OSCE Minsk Group acts as the only mediator in resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, it failed to make any move to achieve a breakthrough in the peace process so far.