Who’ll spur Karabakh settlement mediators to activity?

November 24, 2011 - 21:11 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Araz Azimov confessed to Baku’s having no special expectations from the oncoming regional visit of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.

Which is understandable. So far, all visits by co-chairs ended in a declaration of intention to take every possible effort to achieve resolution of Karabakh conflict. Moreover, rumors of a replacement of French co-chair Bernard Fassier with former ambassador to Ukraine Jacques Faure have been confirmed, which means the last visit of the Group with Fassier as a part of it, will, most probably, be fruitless.

With the oncoming elections in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, France and the U.S., the authorities of the countries in question will probably push Karabakh settlement to the background. In view of the developments, the co-chairs might have been instructed to maintain current situation, preventing renewal of a war.

Also, Baku got used to the fact that neither OSCE MG representatives nor any other organization are able or willing to force it into abandoning its destructive position, continued military rhetoric and threats of renewed war. Which causes little surprise, seeing as even the more democratic and “peaceful” international community is turning a blind eye to the deaths of Artsakh soldiers over Azeri ceasefire violations.

Trench warfare is in progress, with Azerbaijan, certain of its impunity, continuing to drag out peace talks, rattling the sabre and petrodollars, blunting the vigilance of mediators with statements suggesting Baku adherence to peaceful settlement.

It seems like the fate of waking the mediator kingdom of sleep from its slumber will befall Armenia and Artsakh, who are really willing to finally achieve the peaceful settlement.