STEPANAKERT (Combined Sources)—The French, Russian and US co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group visited Stepanakert Wednesday and met with Nagorno-Karabakh Republic leaders after taking part in a monitoring of the Karabakh-Azerbaijan frontlines.
France’s Bernard Fassier, Russia’s Igor Popov and the US’s Robert Bradtke traveled to Stepanakert after meeting in Baku Tuesday, crossing the border from Mardakert, which has been the scene of the most violent clashes after Azeri forces attacked Karabakh positions. Two such incidents in one week, claimed the lives of at least five Azeri soldiers.
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying the monitoring of what is called the “line of contact” went according to schedule, adding that no cease-fire violations were registered during the visit.
During talks in Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic President Bako Sahakian expressed concern to the OSCE co-chairmen about the rise in Azeri violation of the cease fire, saying the recent incursions have caused concern and pose a serious threat to the national security of Karabakh.
Calling a military solution to the conflict unacceptable, Sahakian urged the co-chairmen to use their influence to steer Azerbaijan toward a more constructive approach in the continuing peace talks.
“Both sides pointed out that the military option of resolving the conflict is absolutely unacceptable,” said an official statement from the Karabakh Presidential Office.
“I can not share our impressions with you because … we are only in the middle of our mission,” Fassier told journalists in Stepanakert, adding that his Russian and US colleagues would issue a joint communiqué after scheduled talks with President Serzh Sarkisian in Yerevan on Thursday.
Earlier this week, the three co-chairmen issued a statement condemning the recent attacks and cease-fire violations, but refused to acknowledge Azerbaijan’s role as an instigator in the attacks.
For heavan’s sake why are the OSCE Minsk Group’s co-chairmen refused to acknowledge Azerbaijan’s role as an instigator in the attacks? It is as plain as black and white and right in-front of the entire world that right after Aliyev came back from meeting with Medvedev and Sarkisian that he had his soldiers attack our soldiers and had 4 of them killed in the Nagorno-Karapakh region, and they are still at it. It’s only the Azeris that are opening fire on our soldiers and disregarding the ceasefire between the Azeris and the Armenians. Why are the co-chairmen falling short of acknowleging the Azeris belligerent behaviours and not punishing them? This is totally unjustified.
I totaly agree ……….
You know why my dear Nairian,actually,2 things,1- we don’t have OIL,or Gas, we not Muslim who have contact with Kazak,EU want Middle Asia’s Oil and Gas,that’ s why they have war with Afgan,to open road bring Asian Gas and Oil to India’ s see, if Russia aloud them which is imposable,who cares Ail Qaida,or others,they only excuse,other is “MONEY” if you have you can talk and they listen,other wise they(azari) kill and no body can open their mouth,can you imagine if same thing happens to Jew’s? all America move to israel to protect,which I will say and most important thing is,this is my personal believe,we as a Armenians learn to love each other listen,learn from each other,and go back to Armenia,mostly young Armenians build the country,bring fresh idea, have strong economy.then you will see the world how they going to listen us,like they do listen Israel,other wise we yell and they look and lough at us as always they did,still doing it.,and we Armenians are all the time ask why they not listen, why they not fair to Armenians,why they should? why they should listen us? what we have to offer them? we don’t even right now 21 century, like to live together as of Armenians!! ,first thing we ask to one and other when we start to talk,or write” UR DEHEN ES?” your name is Armenian and you are Armenian,those not meter and if you not Beyrutzi,or Hayasdsantzi,gam Irantzi,other thousand of place tzi,CES ne , it is not enough to our Armenians.!! that’s why all the time we must learn to look at mirror,and ask our self why no body care obout us? why all the time in our History the use us Armenians?and stop blame other people,except our self,fine the way love ,work be come one sole, one body and then see yourself deference, have great day,God be always with Armenia and with Armenians,love you all
Dear Paul jan,
I totally agree with all your thoughts above. You enlightened me more however between the US and the Al Qaida war and the EU interests for more oil. I have already known about the Azeri OIL interests of the European businessmen and the US businessmen, and that is the reason for their turning the other way despite the Azeri’s belligerent behaviours and wrong-doings. However, I have always said so through the website and before the websites that we have to love and SUPPORT each other as Armenians. The Hayasdancis and the Irancis usually stick together (which is fine); but the rest of us aren’t as good Armenians to most of them for instance, because we were born outside of today’s Republic of Armenia. They don’t stop to think as to why for instance I was born in Egypt. My own father was from Western Armenia and he was left orphan along with thousands of other children when the Turkish government from 1915 thru 1923 annihilated more than 2 Million Armenians. I am the offspring of a survivor of the Armenian Genocide. If the Turks left us alone, I would have been a rich woman in Western Armenia owning lands and crops and loving it. Most probably the 3.5 Million in 1915 Turkey, would have been by now about 35 to 40 Million Armenians and we would have claimed all our Western Armenian lands back already. But your point is very well taken that we must at all costs first love and SUPPORT one another, rather than asking each other where were we born or where did we come from? If I wasn’t patriotic and loving my country Armenia and Artsakh so very much would I be here today and have so much interest in knowing what’s going on in and around my country??? Of course not. Our main objective today and forever should be to SUPPORT at all costs our newly formed Republic of Armenia and Artsakh. Minimize the corruption in our country as much as possible so that the remainder of our population can stay in Armenia and Artsakh and flourish our country and live happier and more fulfilled lives. After all, there was one million exodus right after and even beforer Armenia became free in 1991. We don’t want that to happen again. Today, not as many people are going back to Armenia; but if Armenia and Artsakh was free from corruption and had much better and richer infrastructure and more jobs to go around, then I am sure more people will start going back to both our Republic and Artsakh.
All the very best,
Nairian
I disagree with Paul, Russia has been hammering on Azerbaijan lately more than normal. Yes they signed a gas deal, but at the same time they averted the Kazakhs and Turkmenistan in central Asia from transporting gas through Azerbaijan. Now the gas goes through Russia. The only reason the conflict is not solved is because there is a conflict in the area, and keeps investors out of Azerbaijan but in Russia’s hands. I am all for a giant wall between Karabakh and Azerbaijan just like the Israelis built. We keep the territory and Azeris cant whine about it just like the Palestinians do in Israel. They throw rockets at us, we will carpet bomb them.
do you really think that Armenia has more money than Azerbaijan to buy more bombs?
Armenia doesn’t have to spend money to buy more weapons, they will simply wait for the opportune moment to confiscate Azeri’s newly acquired weapons arsenal.
Read your comment again but don’t laugh:)
And read your comment directed to Caesium, and see if there’s correlation between your question and his statement.
Armenia may not be financialy as sound as Azerbaijan, but then again why spend extra money on weapons,when you have Azerbaijan.In a Karabakh war documentary video, based on Karabakh soldiers’ eye-witness accounts, Armenian defence forces would trick the Azeris into believing that they will unleash substance that would harm the lives of Azeris.With that in mind Azeris would drop their weapons(light or heavy) abandon their positions and run ( as in RUN FOREST RUUUUN), with the advancing Armenian forces coming behind the enemy line and scooping up the ‘GOODIES’ …cont’d
good luck with that one;))
I am with on that Jay. Never mind the scaremongerers.
Scaremongerers my butt. They’re buncha COCKROACHES and think like an OXON.