Friday, April 23 2021 12:14

ArmInfo.The latest statement of the three co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group on the situation around Artsakh clearly indicates the direct interest of the United States,  Russia and France in resuscitating the settlement process within its  framework. Ruben Mehrabyan, an expert at the Armenian Institute of  International Relations and Security, expressed a similar opinion to  ArmInfo.

On April 13, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs called for the reliable  clearance of Artsakh, the removal of all obstacles to the free access  of international humanitarian organizations to Artsakh, the  preservation and protection of religious and cultural heritage, and  the promotion of direct contacts and cooperation between the  communities affected by the conflict. Emphasizing the need to  establish a final comprehensive and sustainable peace , the Co-Chairs called on the parties to  restore the high-level political dialogue under the auspices of the  Co-Chairs as soon as possible and without preconditions, in  accordance with their mandate and previous practice.

"The US interest in resuscitating the MG is due to the  unacceptability for Washington of the continuation of the  Russian-Turkish monopoly in the South Caucasus. The US intention to  return to the region is supported by the unequivocal attitude of the  US administration to the authoritarian regimes in Russia, Turkey and  Azerbaijan. To this end, a new package of sanctions has already been  introduced against Moscow. As for Turkey, "the goal is to bring it to  the same page with the United States in Syria, Libya and Karabakh,"  he said.

France's interest in "returning" to Artsakh, according to Mehrabyan,  is based on the confrontation with Turkey, which already affects the  internal life in France. In this light, he recalled the existence of  pseudo-Islamic organizations fueled by Ankara in the country. Another  challenge of Erdogan to Paris is the attempts of aggressive expansion  in the Mediterranean against Greece. In this light, France, according  to the expert, tries to restrain Turkey wherever possible, including  the South Caucasus.

According to Mehrabyan, Moscow's interest in the "resuscitation" of  the OSCE Minsk Group raises certain questions. So, on the one hand,  trying to drag the kicking Baku into the EEU and the CSTO as a  payment for "restoring territorial integrity", on the other hand,  against the background of the obvious growth of confrontation with  Turkey, Moscow is trying to balance the situation in the region.   Here, the expert considers it useful to note the role of Ankara in  the return of General Rustam Muradov from Baku empty-handed. After  that, Ankara's role in the situation around Ukraine led to the  decision to block the way to Turkey for Russian tourists.

"In this light, it is necessary to note the statement made a few days  before the co-chairs' statement by the former Deputy Foreign Minister  of the Russian Federation Grigory Karasin about the need to activate  the Minsk Group. Before that, Russian diplomacy was simply silent.   But concern about the actions of Turkey and its satellite Azerbaijan  no longer leaves Moscow with such an opportunity. Hence Russia's  return to the Minsk settlement format, " he said.

In the West, Moscow's concerns, according to Mehrabyan, are seen and  met with its sudden constructiveness. And here, in the expert's  opinion, a vast field of work is already opening up for the all the  three parties.

"The problem of Artsakh has not been solved, there is no final  status, and the statement of November 9 is just a statement.   Moreover, some of its points - the return of prisoners and the  unblocking of regional communications, despite all the efforts of  Moscow, are not being implemented at all, " Mehrabyan concluded.