US State Department again mentions the OSCE Minsk Group
US State Department on Minsk Group
US State Department spokesman Ned Price said that the US is trying “to do everything possible and promote a comprehensive long-term peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.” Price also mentioned the OSCE Minsk Group as a mediator in the negotiations. According to Azerbaijani expert Husein Ismayilbayli, it may be best just to forget the Minsk Group in negotiations between the two countries.
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In a daily briefing, Ned Price answered a question from an Azerbaijani journalist about prospects for resolution in Karabakh and the role of the United States.
According to Price, Washington “still sees” an opportunity for a comprehensive long-term peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan:
“We still see the opportunity, despite the setbacks, and have always understood that this will not be a quick process. We are working to do our best and promote a comprehensive long-term peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.”
Price also stated that his country believes in achieving that goal “through constant dialogue, constant interaction, including at the highest level.”
He added that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken recently had the opportunity to speak with both Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders.
“We expressed our deep concern about the recent fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh and the casualties resulting from it. We urgently called for immediate action to reduce tensions and prevent further escalation,” Price continued.
The US also believes that the recent rise in tensions speaks to the need for a coherent, comprehensive and sustainable resolution of all outstanding issues related to or arising from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the State Department spokesman said.
“While there has been an increase in tensions that have escalated into violence, we will continue to work with the parties, both on a bilateral basis and with partners in the EU and through the OSCE Minsk Group, to help find a long-term and comprehensive peace,” Price said.
Expert opinion
According to editor of the Azerbaijani edition of JAMnews Husein Ismayilbayli, the United States does not in fact have many effective mechanisms for resolving the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict:
“Ned Price’s answer to the journalist’s question is most likely of an on-duty nature and does not reflect the essence of what is happening in the region.”
According to the Ismayilbayli, some of Price’s statements don’t hold water at all:
“Price again appealed to the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group, apparently wanting to give his answer a more or less official character. But everyone who is closely familiar with the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia has long known that this group cannot be revived.
“The reason for this is very simple: official Baku refused the mediation of the Minsk Group. No one can force Azerbaijan to sit at the negotiating table in this way. This is a bygone stage. Even Russia, one of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, accepts the reality.
“Europe has also changed the format of the Minsk Group to directly participate in the negotiations of the European Council, headed by Chairman Charles Michel. True, these negotiations have not yet led to anything significant.
“If you look closely, the negotiations themselves, the trilateral meetings almost never ended with something really useful on the ground. Many issues are resolved on the basis of behind-the-scenes negotiations. You don’t have to be a great political scientist to notice this.
“By the end of August, two more high-level meetings between Azerbaijan and Armenia should take place. One in Moscow, the other in Brussels. True, so far neither Baku nor Yerevan have officially specified the dates. Let’s see what the results will be after these meetings. We can only hope for the best.”
