OSCE Sec. Gen. says Turkey can have role in Karabakh settlement

PanARMENIAN.Net - The newly elected Secretary-General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said that Turkey could play an important role in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement.

Lamberto Zannier told Today's Zaman that “Turkey is an important actor in the region and it has a political contribution to offer.”

“I am stating a fact - it [progress] is not happening. Something is missing,” he said.

According to Zannier, Turkey’s involvement needs not be an official one. “I am not talking about a formal role in the negotiations, but in real terms. Turkey is bordering both countries involved in the conflict,” he said.

“My very personal view is that Turkey needs to create conditions to promote dialogue on both sides,” Zannier said.

While the OSCE is doing its best, Zannier said it is up to the parties involved in the conflict to step up to the plate. Zannier stressed there must be political will on behalf of the parties to end the conflict. “What I said this morning was there is a lot of focus on the mechanism, but there is also an issue of whether the parties are ready to make a deal,” he said.

While Zannier said that the mechanism could perhaps be improved, he also emphasized that in the end the power lies with the member countries. The next step, according to the OSCE secretary general, is ensuring the problem does not escalate further. “[In general,] if we cannot line up all of the conditions and solve the conflict, then the next best thing we can do is manage the problem so it does not grow worse. So that is our next step. It is up to everyone to keep making efforts from different angles,” he stressed.