Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 4 /Trend, E.Tariverdiyeva/
The fact that the two Presidents did not even meet at the Astana summit is telling and goes to show that the state of the negotiations and relations are at a very low point indeed, European expert Amanda Paul said.
"There was little more than bellicose speeches and the weakest statement from the Minsk Group co-chairs for a very long time indeed," Paul, Policy Analyst at EU Eastern Neighbourhood, Russia, Turkey & Eurasia Issues at European Policy Centre, wrote in an e-mail to Trend.
The OSCE summit, not conducted over the last 11 years, was held in Astana on Dec. 1-2 under Kazakhstan's chairmanship to the organization. The summit brought together heads of states and governments of all OSCE member countries.
During the summit, the presidents of the conflicting countries - Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as the heads of delegations of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries made a joint statement. The statement on the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict calls for a speedy resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
According to the analyst, the recent events, such the Armenian president's speech in occupied Azerbaijani district Aghdam, dressed in full military uniform, have been particularly provocative actions which have also contributed to a firing up of the situation further.
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, accompanied by Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian and senior officers, visited occupied Azerbaijani territory to watch military exercises Nov. 13.
According to Paul, it is time to go back to the drawing board.
"While it is easy to blame the Minsk group co-chairs, the main fault lies with the two leaders themselves," the expert said.
Armenia in particular has found it incredibility difficult to engage efficiently, being left somewhat vulnerable ever since the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict became entangled into Turkey's rapprochement with Armenia, Paul said.
Oct. 10, 2009 foreign ministers Ahmet Davutoglu of Turkey and Eduard Nalbandian of Armenia signed protocols to normalize relations between Turkey and Armenia. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were severed in 1993. However, the minutes were not ratified.
According to Paul, every chair wants a success, and Lithuania, next OSCE chairman, is no different, but without political will on the ground and without greater and more concerted efforts from the two leaders themselves and from the international community it is highly unlikely there will be any substantial progress any time soon.
"The opposite is true. The conflict may slide backwards risking increased ceasefire violations and other provocations which only serve to increase the evident dangers on the ground," the expert said.