Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan flanked by reporters
YEREVAN—The four-day war in April have created an imperative for the review of the so-called Madrid Principles. the series of provisions put forth by international mediators for the resolution of the Karabakh conflict.
This perspective was expressed on Thursday by Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharian in briefing the government of the developments of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, saying that the “mutual concessions” provision of the Madrid Principles especially required a review since the brutal attacks by Azerbaijan on Artsakh in early April.
“There was a provision of holding delayed referendum in Nagorno Karabakh. According to that during that period Baku should prepare its public for the idea that Nagorno Karabakh will not be a part of Azerbaijan. But it used that time in April for another purpose. In this case there cannot be a negotiation process and progress. Everything depends on the implementation of agreements. The discussion subjects are that the ceasefire regime must be strengthened, the Azerbaijani sabotage must be eliminated, and the powers of the OSCE mission must be increased,” said Kocharyan during the government session.
Without the implementation of agreements reached in during Vienna and St. Petersburg summits held with the participation of Armenian and Azerbaijani representatives, there cannot be a progress over the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, asserted the deputy foreign minister.
When the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan met in Vienna in May during a summit mediated by Secretary of State John Kerry and in the presence of this Russian and French counterparts, the sides agreed to increased monitoring on the Azerbaijani-Karabakh border, known as the Line of Contact, and guarantees to respect the terms of the 1994 cease fire. Both leaders agreed to these proposals and reiterated their willingness to proceed during another summit in June, in St. Petersburg, Russia spearheaded by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kocharyan told the government session that those agreements have not yet been implemented, thus no new talks have been planned.
“The agreements on strengthening the ceasefire regime and expanding the capabilities of the OSCE monitoring group have not been implemented. Progress is impossible to achieve without them,” emphasized Kocharyan.
Source: Asbarez
Link: After April War, Madrid Principles Must be Reviewed, Says Deputy Foreign Minister