Armenia displeased with statements of mediators in Karabakh peace process

Armenia's Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan has commented on the most recent statement by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs on Karabakh peace process.  "Statements of mediators on inability to identify the one responsible for ceasefire violations encourage new provocations by violator,"  Kocharyan posted on Twitter.

EADaily reported earlier that the OSCE MG co-chairs made a statement after traveling to the conflict zone. The mediators said that immediately after a routine crossing of the Line of Contact by them, repeated gunfire from an undetermined location forced OSCE monitors to take cover. “The sides have made an obligation to guarantee the safety of monitoring personnel. This incident represents a deliberate effort to undermine progress towards a settlement. It also underscores the need for the OSCE to have the ability to investigate violations of the ceasefire," the mediators said in the statement.

In response to the question why the mediators always address “all sides to the conflict” when calling for observing the ceasefire and avoid addressing the violator directly, OSCE MG Co-Chair James Warlick of the United States said it is impossible to monitor the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border constantly to verify which side violates the ceasefire first.  

Eduard Sharmazanov, spokesperson for the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, vice speaker of the Armenian parliament has also commented on the statement by the OSCE MG co-chairs.  He said the mediators do not help resolving the conflict by their parity in responding to acts of aggression by Azerbaijan.

“We conceive that there is a set of diplomatic terms, there is etiquette they have to follow, but when one side constantly violates the ceasefire and the mediators  keep closing eyes on this, this stalemates the negotiations,” Sharmazanov said