Mediation should aim at cementing ceasefire

PanARMENIAN.Net - A treaty on armistice was signed by 3 parties to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict in 1994. Presently, the ceasefire should be cemented via conclusion of an agreement where the three sides rejected resolution of the conflict by use of force, former OSCE MG Russian Co-chair, Ambassador Vladimir Kazimirov said during Stepanakert-hosted international conference dedicated to 20th anniversary of the Karabakh movement.



"Azerbaijan keeps on threatening with hostilities, what allows Armenia to justify the seizure of territories around former NKAO," Kazimirov said.



Azerbaijan refusal to use force can lead to withdrawal of Armenian troops from territories, according to him.



As a guarantee of fulfillment of obligations, Amb. Kazimirov hinted on presence of international forces [Russian peacekeepers].



"After the incident at the contact line in early March, Azerbaijan neglected Karabakh's proposal to sign an agreement on refusal from military operation. Now, it's the OSCE MG's turn to make a similar proposal. And if any of the sides rejects the initiative, the international community's attitude to conflict may change. If done earlier, Azerbaijan would have failed to pass a resolution in the UN," he said.



"Currently, the mediators proceed from inadmissibility pf resumption of hostilities. However, oral statements are not enough. Incidents at the border should be condemned; sanctions should be applied against the side which fails to meet commitments," Kazimirov concluded, KarabakhOpen reports.