BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 6
By Jani Babayeva - Trend:
The Minsk Group (MG) of the OSCE should focus on the implementation of November 10, 2020 Statement provisions, historian, Professor of the Department of International Relations in the Post-Soviet Space of Russian St. Petersburg State University Niyazi Niyazov told Trend.
According to Niyazov, the group should do this to remain in history as a structure that has done something useful.
"First of all, the Minsk Group should make every effort to open transport communications in the region and provide assistance to Azerbaijan in the restoration of the destroyed territories," he said. “However, the group isn’t eager to deal with the issues, but wants, as before, to engage in imitation of political activity."
"We see that the Minsk Group is trying to seriously cooperate, first of all, with Armenia. Because after the surrender in the second Karabakh war, Armenia is making every effort to revive this virtually dead structure, and with its help to solve some of its tasks," Niyazov further said.
The expert noted that after Azerbaijan, having shown a gesture of goodwill, released three detained Armenian servicemen, the Armenian side stated that this was done with the support of the Minsk Group and as a result of pressure from the international community.
"That is, we see that the Armenian side is trying to use the OSCE Minsk Group. In turn, the Minsk Group doesn't seem to mind, but if this continues, then, most likely, its activity will be completely paralyzed," he pointed out.
Besides, Niyazov stressed that Azerbaijan won’t allow neither the OSCE Minsk Group, nor any other international structures to exert political, economic, or other pressure on itself.
"Today, Azerbaijan has many opportunities to withstand such pressure, so if the Minsk Group wants to continue its activities in some form and somehow influence the processes taking place in the region, it should first of all focus on helping the parties to implement agreements within November 10, 2020 Statement," the expert also noted.
Niyazov added that the OSCE Minsk Group could play a certain role in putting pressure on Armenia on the issue of providing minefield maps to Azerbaijan.
"However, the Minsk Group shows a one-sided approach here, doesn’t call things by their proper names. Moreover, Azerbaijan is completely dissatisfied with the position taken by France in the Minsk Group," concluded the expert.
Following over a month of military action to liberate its territories from Armenian occupation from late Sept. to early Nov. 2020, Azerbaijan has pushed Armenia to sign the surrender document. A joint statement on the matter was made by the 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 were introduced on Nov. 10, 2020.
The statement envisions opening of all transport communications in the region, which were suspended due to Armenian occupation of Azerbaijan’s territories.
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, the 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.