Expert: change of OSCE MG format unlikely

July 4, 2011 - 13:17 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Caucasus Institute director, political analyst Alexander Iskandaryan doesn’t believe any change is possible in the format of the OSCE Minsk Group dealing with the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

“I don’t think any change is possible. The Minsk Group format has been operating since 1992 and implements the tasks set, including peace talks and maintenance of status quo,” he told a press conference in Yerevan on July 4.

Iskandaryan also noted that he had no expectations from the Kazan presidential meeting. “There are no reasons to expect drastic changes in the Karabakh conflict settlement process,” he said.

Despite optimistic forecasts and encouragement from the superpowers’ leaders, the June 24 meeting between the Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents ended in a statement saying that the heads of state “noted the reaching of mutual understanding on a number of questions, whose resolution helps create conditions to approve the basic principles."

The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan praised the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries for their continuous attention to the problem and once again thanked Russian President for his personal endeavors to bring the positions of the conflicting sides closer.