“Turkey’s joining the OSCE Minsk Group, mediating in resolving of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, is on the agenda, the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration department head said.
“Turkey’s joining the OSCE Minsk Group is on the agenda. But only the OSCE can evaluate the proposals “, the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration socio-political department head Ali Hasanov told media.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994.
The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. – are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the occupied territories.
Hasanov said that Azerbaijan is not authorized to review activity or determine the composition of the Minsk Group.
“This is the OSCE institution. The organization itself determines the number of states in its structure. If there is any dissatisfaction on this issue at the OSCE next summit, Azerbaijan, of course, can voice its opinion. There is increasing concern over the lack of significant results of the Institute of co-chairmen [the OSCE Minsk Group] in recent years not only in Europe but all over the world,” Hasanov said.
Hasanov expressed his attitude to Armenia’s protest against Turkey’s joining the OSCE Minsk Group. “The Armenian Foreign Ministry does not understand itself what it is doing. Neither the president nor Foreign Minister of this country act on their own,” he said.
Trend
