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The OSCE Minsk Group recent statement encourages Azerbaijan to continue its aggressive policy on the frontline, political scientist Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan told a press conference on Tuesday. In his words, the Minsk Group Co-Chairs, nonetheless, have limited opportunities and try stay within the mandate of their mediation. 

“This time we witnessed Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev trying to exert maximum pressure on the Co-Chairs, blaming the Armenian side for the border escalation, as a result of which we had that vague call from the mediators,” Melik-Shahnazaryan said, expressing disappointment over the statement, recapping the mediators’ regional visit.

“From purely political perspective, the Minsk Group showed it is ready for further concessions which is perceived in Azerbaijan as a green light to escalate new tensions and launch new shooting,” the expert noted, suggesting at present the Armenian side is the one that refuses to return to the negotiation table with a resolute and consistent position not to resume the conflict settlement process.

“To me, the Armenian side refuses to return to the negotiation table due to a simple reason. Following the April war, we raised preconditions for the resumption of the talks, - the establishment of confidence building mechanisms, installment of the technical equipment [across the Line of Contact], investigation into ceasefire violations, the enhancement of the capacities of the team of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office among them. Those [preconditions] would assure that Azerbaijan would not make use of the settlement process for starting a new war, as it did previously,” Melik-Shahnazaryan explained. 

“Azerbaijan would like to sit at the negotiation table, put aside the political consequences of the April events and start from scratch trying to solve certain issues, while the Armenian side obstructs these efforts,” the political scientist analyzed, assessing the Armenia’s position justifiable.