Azerbaijan, Baku, 19 September /corr. Trend E.Ostapenko / Turkish їPlatform of Security and Stability in Caucasusї can not replace the OSCE Minsk Group in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.
їDespite the fact that Ankara suddenly decided to fix its relations with Yerevan, nevertheless Turkey is not ideal mediator for Armenia,ї American politician Svante Cornell, told Trend by telephone from Stockholm.
Regulating territorial conflicts in the region will become the topic of discussions of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Armenia in New York at the end of September.
In mid September Russia and Turkey commenced realization of plan on establishment of "Platform of Security and Stability in Caucasus" for five countries - Azerbaijan, Russia, Georgia, Turkey and Armenia. The aspiration of Turkey towards the most rapid solution of territorial conflicts in Caucasus between Armenia and Turkey, and between Armenia and Azerbaijan was the purpose of establishment of this platform.
The conflict between the two countries of South Caucasus began in 1988 due to territorial claims by Armenia against Azerbaijan. Armenia has occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani land including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding Districts. Since 1992, these territories have been under the occupation of the Armenian Forces. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which time the active hostilities ended. The Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France and USA) are currently holding peaceful negotiations.
Experts indicate several reasons, according to which the initiative of Turkey will not be able to replace OSCE Minsk Group. Ankaraїs desire to solve Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict will not be crowned with success because in Armenia itself the distrust to Turkey is very strong, Cornell, Research Director of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute (USA), said.
Azerbaijan political scientist, Rasim Musabeyov, also skeptically relates to the Turkish initiative in Caucasus, but he considers large advance forwards probability to decrease conflict character of the Armenian-Azerbaijani and Armenian-Turkish conflicts with the aid of this initiative. He said that the OSCE Minsk Group gained rich long years experience. Hopefully Turkey will manage effectively, would be short-sighted, political scientist said.
Turkish political scientist Sinan Ogan considers that the Caucasus project is urgent, but its realization is under the doubt. їThe problems between Georgia and Russia present obstacles for the realization of this project,ї he said. Ogan considers that the future of the OSCE Minsk Group is under question. їThe fate of the OSCE Minsk Group depends on the negotiations at the end of September in Washington,ї said Ogan.
In the immediate suture the OSCE will be continuing to be involved in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, but, I think that in future the Minsk Group will be substituted with other structure,ї said Cornell.
E.Tariverdiyeva, R.Hafizoglu attended the preparation of the material
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