EuFoA: Azerbaijan’s maximalist approach means further escalation

PanARMENIAN.Net - European Friends of Armenia (EuFoA) shares the disappointment and recommendations issued in a statement on June 18, 2012 by the three Co-Chairing Presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group at the G20 summit in Los Cabos, Mexico.

“In particular we regret that Azerbaijan continues blocking the key confidence building measures, i.e. the establishment of an investigation mechanism for incidents on the line of contact, the removal of snipers and promotion of people to people contacts. The on-going snail pace escalation of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict brings dramatic risks for the entire South-Caucasus region, as well as for the Middle East and Europe,” the EuFoA said.

“Ignoring the Presidents’ agreement of Sochi, Azerbaijan now conditions every progress on the removal of troops. For good reasons, the Madrid Principles proposed by the Minsk-Group foresee a troop removal in the very specific context of the other parts of the package, ensuring that there would be no vacuum of power and security, but an interim status guarded by international troops and guarantees. To pre-condition all confidence building measures to a unilateral removal of troops is more than cynical and effectively means that Baku simply refuses all the diplomatic steps proposed by the OSCE. This maximalist approach means further escalation,” commented Dr Michael Kambeck, EuFoA Secretary General. “A new war would come at insane costs to all sides, and would certainly destroy the Azerbaijani petro-industry, the source of Azerbaijan’s wealth and defence budget. This may seem irrational but it is consistent, also with the highly aggressive speeches of President Aliyev addressing international audiences.”

EuFoA repeats its call upon the EU and other international actors to stop “calls upon both sides” and instead to specify more clearly which actions are expected from each side, as otherwise the respective sources of the problems are encouraged to continue their dangerous behaviour. The sides should also be commended individually for positive steps and initiatives. This will assist a more result oriented negotiation under the OSCE Minsk Group mediation. It is a perverted interpretation of impartiality to call upon both sides, when some problems clearly originate from this or the other side.