The OSCE MG Co-Chairs Should Consider Signing an Agreement of Non-Use of Force or the Threat of Force by the Sides

• 06.27.2017, 17:24
• Liana Hovhannisyan
•  America,  World,  NKR

Last week the US State Department came up with a statement where a reference was made and a concern was expressed about the last escalations on Artsakh-Azerbaijan borders, as a result of which the Armenian side had human losses.

The statement made by the US State Department, citing the joint-statement made by the OSCE Minsk Group on June 19, "encourages immediate consideration of measures" to reduce tensions on the borders  (it is interesting to note that the word "immediate" is missing in the statement made by the Minsk Group) and "to re-engage in negotiations on substance."

In both statements the call for "consideration of measures" (the one, by which, in essence, is meant the agreements reached in Vienna and Saint Petersburg meetings – to install investigation mechanisms along the Artsakh-Azerbaijan borders and increase in the number of observers on the borders) is made before the second call "to re-engage in negotiations on substance". Nevertheless, the statements became a reason for concern.

First, the statements can make Azerbaijan assume that the international community once more closes its eyes on its provocations on the borders and non-constructive stance on the negotiation table. Although Azerbaijan consistently tries to avoid the implementation of the agreements reached in Vienna and Saint Petersburg, the international community, yielding to Azerbaijan’s such a whimsical demand, continues to insist on the continuation of the negotiations on other aspects. Here a question rises: in case when the existing agreements are not fulfilled and the continuous shootings on the borders take human lives, how can one speak about the progress on the negotiation table?

Besides, the US State Department’s statement makes a reference to the resolution of the problem based on the three, internationally accepted main principles (unacceptability of the threat or use of force, the right of people to self-determination and territorial integrity), when Azerbaijan consistently ignores two of those principles: unacceptability of the threat or use of force and the right of people to self-determination.

In case of such a non-constructive stance of Azerbaijan, the US, as well as other two Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group, instead of speaking about the progress on the negotiation table, which is impossible in the current situation, should demand from the sides to undertake concrete steps to reduce the tension on the borders. One of such steps can be signing an agreement of non-use of force or the threat of force.