BAKU, Azerbaijan, Nov. 14
By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend:
France has not taken its role as a mediator in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict very seriously, Svante E. Cornell, Director of the Institute for Security and Development Policy, and one of its co-founders told Trend.
Cornell made the statement commenting on the use of the Armenian ‘Shushi’ word in the Franch MFA’s statement on the liberation of the Azerbaijani city of Shusha.
Unfortunately, he said, France has appeared to apply its national politics to the role of mediator.
“It should be recalled that many experts myself included having long suggested that the French co-chairmanship of the Minsk Group be turned into an EU co-chairmanship. France has answered that it can represent the EU in the mediation process. Unfortunately, France’s record suggests it has failed to do so,” Cornell said.
Following over a month of military action to liberate its territories from Armenian occupation, Azerbaijan has pushed Armenia to sign the surrender document. A joint statement on the matter was made by Azerbaijani president, Armenia's PM and the president of Russia.
A complete ceasefire and a cessation of all hostilities in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is introduced at 00:00 hours (Moscow time) on 10 November 2020.
Armenian Armed Forces launched a large-scale military attack on positions of Azerbaijani army on the front line, using large-caliber weapons, mortars and artillery on Sept. 27. Azerbaijan responded with a counter-offensive along the entire front.
Back in July 2020, Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire in the direction of Azerbaijan's Tovuz district. As a result of Azerbaijan's retaliation, the opposing forces were silenced. The fighting continued the following days as well. Azerbaijan lost a number of military personnel members, who died fighting off the attacks of the Armenian Armed Forces.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian Armed Forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.