Baku, Azerbaijan, April 6
By Aygun Badalova - Trend:
A new mechanism needs to be found to deal with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that allows Azerbaijani sovereignty to be restored, Justin Amler, Australian writer and commentator on international issues, wrote in his article published on the website of Washington Times newspaper.
"The Minsk Group, chaired by France, Russia and the United States and set up to lead a peaceful resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, has proven itself to be a failure," the author wrote. "More than 20 years later, Azerbaijani lands are still occupied and violent conflict is still rife."
The article said that Azerbaijan, with its stable government, sound economy and ethnic tolerance, is a stabilizing force in the South Caucasus region.
"Instead, Armenia's attacks on settlements near the front line of Azerbaijani and Armenian troops were designed to provoke a response from the Azerbaijani military forces, which they did," the article said. "It was meant to divert the positive attention Azerbaijanis had been receiving in the news, and instead paint them as aggressors."
The article said that in this recent outbreak of violence, Azerbaijan has responsibly shown its commitment to a peaceful resolution by declaring a unilateral cease-fire.
The author also wrote that the urgency in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is clear.
"A solution needs to be found soon, or the violence from the last few days could merely be the prelude to something worse," the author wrote.