Baku seeking alternative to peaceful settlement of Karabakh conflict?

PanARMENIAN.Net - OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, who have for decades monopolized the Karabakh conflict settlement talks, brought the possibility of a new war in Karabakh closer, an Azeri MP said.

“The failure of negotiations signals the start of a new stage in the development of the conflict. If before, the co-chairs managed to persuade Azerbaijanis that a diplomatic struggle was in progress, at present, Baku is faced with the necessity to seek alternatives to peaceful settlement of the conflict,” Vesti.az cited Zahid Oruc as saying.

As Oruc noted, OSCE Minsk Group fulfills no actual function, at the same time preventing the involvement of other candidates for Karabakh conflict mediation.

“According to deputy foreign minister Araz Azimov, Azerbaijan is taking steps to alter the situation in its favor. One can only guess if the steps include separate talks with Russia, military and political involvement of Turkey or military campaign plans,” he noted.

Azeri side has repeatedly undermined negotiations for peaceful settlement of Karabakh conflict, ignoring international mediators’ calls to withdraw snipers from the frontline, investigate incidents at contact line, continuing attacks on the border with Armenia and Karabakh.

Recent release of Ramil Safarov convicted for axe-murdering an Armenian officer in Hungary came as a major provocation on Baku’s side.