(RFE/RL) The mediators representing the United States, Russia and France on Thursday urged the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) not to “disturb” the peace process of Nagorno-Karabakh in a common response to a pro-Azerbaijani draft resolution approved by a key committee of the PACE.
The resolution requires the Armenian withdrawal from Nagorno-Karabakh and the return of the territory under the rule of Azerbaijan and stated that the three mediating powers should “consider reviewing” their peace efforts in this direction. It also calls on the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjorn Jagland, to implement an “action plan” on Karabakh settlement reflecting these conclusions.
James Warlick, US Co-Chair of the Minsk Group, criticized the document immediately after it has been approved by the Political Affairs Committee of PACE last week. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov echoed this criticism while conducting a visit to Yerevan on Monday.
Warlick and colleagues from the Minsk Group co-chairs from Russia and France – Igor Popov and Pierre Andrieu – commented on the initiative of PACE in a special joint statement issued in Vienna. “We share the concerns expressed by the resolution concerning the increase in tensions along the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan and along the line of contact … We agree on the fact that the conflict has lasted too long, “they say.
The mediators stressed, however, that they were “neither judges nor advocates of particular positions. “” There are proposals to create new trading formats and working groups on the conflict settlement, “they said. “We believe it is in the framework of the Minsk Group mediating a unique experience. The Minsk Group format is accepted by the parties and has the full confidence of all participating States of the OSCE. “
“Given the sensitive nature of the negotiations, all attempts to change the format or create parallel mechanisms can disrupt the negotiation process and impede progress towards a settlement,” warned Warlick, Popov and Andrieu.
The peace proposals made by the three mediating powers in the last decade on the Karabakh settlement differ markedly from the resolution recommended by the PACE. Their basic principles call, among other things, an internationally recognized referendum in which Karabakh’s predominantly Armenian population of the disputed territory would apparently be able to reaffirm its de facto secession from Azerbaijan.
PACE will discuss the controversial resolution at its next plenary session in Strasbourg in January. The three-page text was written by Robert Walter, a former British pro-Azerbaijani parliamentarian.
Armenia rejected the Walter report submitted to PACE members, accusing him of working for the Azerbaijani government. The Armenian authorities have refused to cooperate with Walter before he writes his text.
However, Azerbaijan welcomed the draft resolution. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Baku has criticized the United States, Russia and the French mediator last week on the grounds that their long peace efforts have produced “no result”.
Ara © armenews.com