Yerevan: OSCE MG's latest statement can be considered as one more message addressed to Azerbaijan

 The latest statement by the OSCE Minsk Group co- chairs concerning the expediency of discussing and adopting the two reports on the Karabakh issue by PACE can be considered as one more message addressed to Azerbaijan. Tigran Balayan, the Spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry of Armenia, made such statement when commenting to ArmInfo on the mediators' January 22 statement.

"The co-chairs have reiterated that Azerbaijan's attempts to drive the Karabakh peace beyond the OSCE MG format will undermine the negotiations for peaceful resolution of the conflict. The mediators' statement has once again pointed at the constructive stand of Armenia in the negotiation process and our commitment to the peaceful resolution of the conflict," Balayan concluded.

To recall, the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, James Warlick of the United States of America, and Pierre Andrieu of France made a statement on January 22 wherein they welcomed efforts to find a negotiated settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and are prepared to work cooperatively with those committed to a peaceful settlement. "We understand that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) may consider resolutions on the conflict in the near future and remind PACE, and other regional and international organizations, that the Minsk Group remains the only accepted format for negotiations.  We appreciate the interest paid by PACE members, but urge that steps not be taken which could undermine the Minsk Group's mandate from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe or complicate ongoing negotiations," the statement says.

To note, on Jan 25 PACE will start its winter session. The agenda includes two anti-Armenian draft resolutions - on "Escalation of violence in Nagorno- Karabakh and the other occupied territories of Azerbaijan" (rapporteur Robert Walter, UK) and on "Inhabitants of frontier regions of Azerbaijan are deliberately deprived of water" (rapporteur Milica Markovic, Bosnia and Herzegovina). The draft resolutions contain wordings running counter to the Armenian side's stand on these issues. The efforts of the Armenian Delegation to PACE to remove these documents from the winter session agenda have failed.  The documents should be discussed on January 26.