What is the alternative help in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?

Azerbaijan and Armenia had another chance for the possibility of settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through the mediation of influential regional players.

OSCE Chairman and Kazakh Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev discussed participation of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev as head of state chairing OSCE in talks over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict during telephone conversations with Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia April 26.

It is third such proposal over the last month from the non-co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group to mediate in a long-lasted territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Earlier Iran and Turkey proposed meditation in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which was welcomed by Baku.

Unlike Yerevan, Baku agree to all the initiatives of mediation not restraining only with the Minsk Group format, which in recent times causes the observer questions.

It is time to change the OSCE Minsk Group's co-chair structure, Ruling New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) Deputy Chairman and Executive Secretary Ali Ahmedov told journalist today.

Ahmedov said his view is based on the fact that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries have not been able to demonstrate a commitment to settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and Azerbaijan's position as a state subjected to occupation is inadequately protected.

Presently, the situation is undoubtedly complicated by the cooling between Baku and Washington, which is likely to make Azerbaijan review candidates of its allies and rely primarily on Moscow and Ankara.

Azerbaijan is seriously concerned about the United States' attitude to territorial dispute with Armenia and the U.S. support to normalization of the Turkey-Armenia relations without taking into account the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, which was one of the reasons for the gap of these relations in 1993.

Meanwhile, Ankara did everything to win back the confidence of Baku after the cooling of relations between countries caused by the signing of the Armenian-Turkish protocols.

In recent times, Turkey is dissatisfied with its role in settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as Turkey wants to become more involved in this matter and not once was offered its mediation. 

Appraising such support, Azerbaijan proposed Turkey to take place of one of the co-chairs in the OSCE Minsk Group.

Though, Armenia has reacted negatively to such an initiative, but perceived Iran's initiative more favorably. However, Yerevan continued insisting on that the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh should be resolved exclusively in the framework of the Minsk Group.

Regarding the most recent proposal by Saudabayev, then Kazakhstan's initiative could indeed be useful in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Of course, Kazakhstan knows the seriousness and complexity of the long-standing territorial dispute in the South Caucasus. Nazarbayev was one of those who tried to extinguish the raising conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the early 90's. Together with the then Russian President Boris Yeltsin, Nazarbayev visited the region and together with Russia, voiced initiates to establish a mediation mission, which was called "Jeleznovodsky initiative".

After many years, Kazakhstan that chairs OSCE in 2010 had a new chance to demonstrate its ability to mediate and to move the process of solving this conflict from the deadlock.

Kazakhstan is a country with smooth relations with the two conflicting parties, and assistance in this process, of course, will give the country certain credibility in the eyes of the world community as a successful mediator.

Time will show Armenia's readiness to Astana's mediation. But even if Armenia gives formal consent, it does not preclude it from finding many reasons for the failure of the initiative of Kazakhstan later.

The fact that in contrast to Baku, Yerevan bristles at all mediation initiatives outside the OSCE Minsk Group, suggests that Armenia does not want to solve the territorial dispute.

Doubts in Armenian's sincerity are strengthened, if we consider that even within the Minsk Group Yerevan creates obstacles for the advancement in the process of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, by returning to the items of the Madrid principles previously agreed with Azerbaijan and the co-chairs, or refusing its updated version.


Elmira Tariverdiyeva
/Trend/