Co-Chairs In Particular Stressed the Importance of Finalizing OSCE Investigative Mechanism

• 01.11.2017, 18:04
• Anna Karapetyan
•  "Insight" Analytical Center ,  NKR,  Analytics

The first joint declaration of the OSCE MG Co-Chairs in 2017 has quite an important emphasis – "to finalize in the shortest possible time an OSCE investigative mechanism."

The statement stresses also the importance of observing the agreements reached during summits in Vienna and St. Petersburg in 2016. In fact, despite the artificial obstacles created by Azerbaijan, the Co-Chairs do not step back from their demand of establishing investigative mechanisms and this time their wording in this regard differed from the others with its toughness.

Another important point in the statement is the humanitarian component and the agreement reached between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Astrakhan Summit of 2010. However, both for the Co-Chairs and those, who are more or less familiar to the conflict, it is obvious that the Armenian sides – both Armenia and Artsakh, pay importance to the reached agreements, particularly on humanitarian issues and the first one that violates those agreements is Azerbaijan.  

The main drawbacks of the statement are perhaps again the non-addressed calls, the principle of equalization of the Co-Chairs. The tension at the end of December showed that such an approach by the Co-Chairs create an atmosphere of impunity, the results of which are not only the actions unleashed along the border with NKR, but also with Armenia. In parallel, this situation shows that only the establishment of investigative mechanisms can keep the situation on the borders stable.

In should be noted that to record any progress in Karabakh conflict settlement process first of all it is important to prevent the violations of the ceasefire regime and restore the trust among the sides. This means that the agreements reached in Vienna and St. Petersburg should be carried out. The last statement shows that the Co-Chiars also acknowledge this.