The Results of the OSCE Chairman's Regional Visit

• 06.04.2015, 19:34
•  Europe,  Region,  Armenia,  NKR

First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Serbia, Ivica Dacic, who is also the OSCE Chairman,  paid visit to our region the other day, attending Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Dacic met the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, the head of the National Assembly Galust Sahakian, the president of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan and some other officials. The sides discussed regional challenges, as well as the Armenian-Serbian relations. But, of course, the central point of all discussions was the Karabakh conflict and the current stage of the negotiation process.

After the meeting with Minister Nalbandian , the OSCE Chairman during the press conference declared: "Azerbaijan proposes to increase the number of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. I think this isn’t a new proposal, though in order to accept it, we need a decision that will be accepted by all participating countries. It is possible to study this issue in the future, but I think the OSCE Minsk Group should continue its work. If any party is not satisfied with the results of the work, it is anyway the only format within which the various parties are negotiating, dialogue is taking place, and this must be maintained. "

In recent years, official Baku has repeatedly complained of the Minsk Group and its work towards a peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict. The complaint was also raised to Dacic during his visit to Baku on June 1.

Minister Nalbandian in his turn drew the attention of the OSCE Chairman to Azerbaijan's non-constructive position at Riga’s summit. Speaking about Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov's announcement on Azerbaijan's readiness to work on a comprehensive peace agreement, Nalbandian underlined that the Eastern Partnership summit once again showed that Azerbaijan's position remains unchanged, as the latter refused to sign the final document of the summit in Riga, where participant countries reaffirmed their support for the efforts of the Minsk Group.

"Baku's policy is a serious threat to regional security and is a grave violation of international law," Nagorno Karabakh President Bako Sahakian said during his meeting with Dacic. Sahakian also noted that the official Stepanakert  supports the Minsk Group's format. He stressed the need to resume negotiations comprehensive format, considering it a key component of the process.

While meeting the OSCE Chairman, Galust Sahakyan also expressed his concern regarding the position of Azerbaijan, which has destabilized the situation in the region. He noted that Armenia adheres to the peaceful solution of a long path, but the international community, including the OSCE, should be really concerned with the behavior of Azerbaijan.

The President of NA noted that Armenia realizes the importance of cooperation with OSCE, as well as support to ongoing democratic reform process. He positively assessed the activity of the OSCE Office in cooperation with the National Assembly.

Galust Sahakyan, referring to the Armenian-Serbian relations, has mentioned the importance of developing inter-parliamentary relations and parliamentary friendship groups.

 It should be noted that in the context of Armenian-Serbian bilateral relations, the meeting of Dacic and Nalbandian has been a very productive one. Thus, after a bilateral meeting, the two countries' Foreign Ministries signed a memorandum of cooperation, which will provide regular political consultations.

The parties referred to the diplomatic missions in Yerevan and Belgrade and the establishment of the legal framework, aimed at the liberalization of the visa regime.

In addition, at the end of the OSCE Chairman's visit to the region, his special envoy for the South Caucasus issues Angelo Gnedingere, noted with content that Armenia is a democracy role model for the region.