On May 12 the bloodshed in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict was stopped by the signing of the ceasefire agreement. “There is no real breakthrough in the negotiation process 19 years after the signing of the document. Furthermore, the threat of resumption of military actions is still there,” Vladimir Kazimirov, former Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, wrote in an article titled “Threats of New War and the Lessons of Past” published in Nezavisimaya Gazeta.
“The ruling elite in the country, which considers itself the loser in the war, is thirsty of revenge, instigates arms race and poisons new generations with miasma of hatred and hostility. The international community and Minsk Group Co-Chairs – Russia, United States and France – openly refute the military solution of the conflict and insist on the search for compromises. The stalemate in the negotiations continues as the sides keep clinging to overrated, unrealistic demands,” Kazimirov writes.
According to him, war is no better and even not worse than the status quo.”It’s high time for the parties, which have entrusted the peaceful settlement of the conflict to the OSCE, to reach an agreement on unacceptability of the use of force. “This is logical, and Azerbaijan’s refusal to reach an agreement creates a tense atmosphere not conductive to peaceful negotiations.”
Kazimirov considers that it’s necessary to bring the conflict to the political field, excluding the military option. “Only the elimination of the shadow of new war will save the talks on Karabakh from congestions and slips,” he concluded.
