Lithuanian FM: Certain rooms exists for progress in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict - UPDATE

OSCE Chairman and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Azubalis said certain room exists for making progress in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"The processes would move faster if it lacked tensions and frozen conflicts," Azubalis said in an interview with DELFI after his recent visit to South Caucasus. "Regarding Nagorno Karabakh, I personally was convinced of the existence of a certain room for progress following the Sochi meeting. Although the OSCE Minsk Group is often criticized, the co-chairmen work. They criticize because do not have information about the co-chairmen’s activities."

After the talks in Sochi on March 5, Presidents of Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia, Ilham Aliyev, Dmitry Medvedev and Serzh Sargsyan, made a joint statement on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement.

The document said that the leaders discussed the issues of practical implementation of the tripartite statement adopted by them during the last meeting in Astrakhan on October 27, 2010. In particular, the Presidents agreed to complete exchanging of prisoners of war as soon as possible.

The document stresses the desire to resolve all disputed issues by peaceful means and to investigate possible incidents along the ceasefire line, with the participation of the parties under the aegis of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen with the assistance of the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairman.

Azubalis believes proposals that intermediaries made to the parties with the mediation of the Russian president is a serious base for progress.

"But, the Minsk Group will not solve the parties’ problem. It can offer any plans, but if the sides lack political will then no one would move the situation toward resolution," he added.

Azubalis also commented on his proposal to the conflicting parties on the withdrawal of snipers from the frontline. He regards such proposals as small steps toward trust.

"Snipers of either party will not bring any military or political success. On the contrary, a positive result would be if they were pushed. I suggested Armenia to unilaterally withdraw snipers, to show the example, but was refused, as in Azerbaijan," Azubalis said.

Azubalis regarded as the affirmative action the fact that both parties have agreed in Sochi to begin consultations on a mechanism that would allow to investigate incidents at the contact line. He said he had already instructed his representative on the Nagorno-Karabakh to investigate these events.

"Being there [in Azerbaijan and Armenia], I also expressed concern over that the parties are arming, which is evidence of a lack of confidence. Negotiations take place only when there is no tension," he added.


/Trend/