Azerbaijan Blocks Establishment of Investigative Mechanisms says Babayan

STEPANAKERT (Tert)—Establishment of investigative mechanisms along the Nagnoro-Karabakh/Azerbaijani border−known as the Line of Contact−will be possible after Azerbaijan stops blocking the process, said David Babayan, Spokesman for the President of the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic, as he commented on a statement by Lamberto Zannier, Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

The OSCE is ready to use all the mechanisms, about which the parties have agreed and to run these mechanisms, once conditions are created for investigation of the incidents, Zannier said.

When asked to elaborate on the conditions Zannier mentioned, Babayan said that the only condition is Azerbaijan’s constructive approach. Otherwise, the work to establish mechanisms will not see any progress.

“In Vienna, an agreement was reached with Azerbaijan on mechanisms, but Azerbaijan is actually putting obstacles to this process. Azerbaijan objects to establishment of mechanisms on the border and proposes that monitoring missions be located in Georgia and Baku, which would make investigative mechanisms inefficient. It is unacceptable,” Babayan said.

“Moreover, Azerbaijan continues ceasefire violations, using weapons of different calibers without denying responsibility for its own actions.”

Regarding whether diplomatic pressure as well as the OSCE Minsk Group and international community could force Azerbaijan into a softer line, Babayan said that it depends on a kind of pressure on their part.