OSCE MG Co-chairs Worked Jointly in Karabakh to Prevent War: A.Malashenko

“Russia won’t change its policy pursued in Karabakh,” Alexey Malashenko, member of the Scientific Council of the Moscow Carnegie Center, Chairman of the Religion, Society and Security Program, said touching upon the outcomes of Aliyev-Sargsyan meeting held in Vienna.

He stated that it’s definitely a positive outcome, that OSCE MG succeeded to bring the presidents of the conflicting countries to the negotiation table, who were on the threshold of resuming military operations. According to him the threat is currently existent as well, however, definiteness of the forthcoming meeting edifies that certain dynamics has been initiated by the Co-chairs, there is pressure, and the short-term threat has been neutralized.

“Surely, that would be a positive outcome, if the sides agreed and implemented demands by the Co-chairs: installation of investigative mechanisms on the Line of Contact, however, I think, that way is going to be wrinkled as well, and during the forthcoming meetings axis of negotiations will be this very issue,” Malashenko said.

In his conviction, at this stage, however, content of the meeting was secondary. It was even more crucial that a meeting was organized and the presidents expressed on their will not to resume war. “It seemed after the April war that the sides have sharply alienated and the atmosphere of intolerance has been shaped, however, this meeting dispelled those concerns,” he said. The Russian analyst highlighted representativeness of the meeting, in particular, participation of MFAs of MG Co-chairs.

Touching upon the policy by mediators and to the question whether Moscow didn’t withdraw from its positions of a leader to Washington, he said, that after the April war Moscow was in a rather complicated condition in Karabakh for certain reasons, highlighting relations both with Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“From now on, I’m sure that Russia will maintain its positions and influence. At this stage it was important for the Co-chairs to calm down the tension and to prevent war. In this regard, I consider, the Co-chairs didn’t have competition, thus it’s not proper touching upon the positions of the leader here, the Co-chairs worked towards the direction of war prevention,” Malashenko noted, insisting that USA-Russia confrontation continues, and disagreements will continue around some substantive issues.

By Araks Martirosyan