Analysts point to the decrease of OSCE Minsk Group's role in solving Karabakh problems

Azerbaijan has put an end to Karabakh conflict without any involvement of the OSCE Minsk Group; and an attempt to resume its work in Nagorno-Karabakh is caused by the West-Russia rivalry, after the latter has deployed its peacemakers in the region, the Azeri analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" have suggested.

In the evening on April 14, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, Igor Popov (Russia), Stefan Visconti (France) and Andrew Schaefer (USA), issued a joint statement in which they stated with satisfaction the observance of the ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh. At the same time, the co-chairs recalled the unresolved problems and called on the parties "to resume, at the earliest opportunity, a high-level political dialogue under their auspices."

In the opinion of Sabir Rustamkhanly, an Azerbaijani MP and the head of the Civil Solidarity Party, the OSCE Minsk Group has no real potential to influence the resolution of any problems. "The interests of major world power centres are intersecting and colliding within the group. Each of the parties pursues its own interests. Therefore, the Minsk Group has not been able to settle the conflict for almost 30 years, or perhaps did not want to," the MP told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The absence of a peaceful settlement programme has led to the fact that Azerbaijan has itself solved the problem of restoring its territorial integrity, Mr Rustamkhanly has added. "Now, a new situation is emerging. One of the co-chairs, Russia, is present in the region as a leading player. The ceasefire was achieved under its personal moderation – the Minsk Group as such was left on the sideline. Now the rest (co-chairs) – France and the United States – are also trying to catch up and to somehow restore their mediating role and hence the attempts to revive the Minsk Group," he said.

The region needs the OSCE Minsk Group, but in a different way, says Avaz Gasanov, a conflict expert and the chairman of the Society for Humanitarian Studies.

He has noted that there are territories in Nagorno-Karabakh inhabited by Armenians; and Azerbaijan is thinking how to reintegrate them someday. "Therefore, there is a need for the OSCE Minsk Group, which could contribute in the future to resolving the issue of building mutual trust among the communities, since it plays a mediating role. The Russia's sole mediation is not beneficial for either Azerbaijan or Armenia," Mr Gasanov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on April 17, 2021 at 12:49 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.