Minsk Group Obviously Needs to Ask for Clarifications from Aliyev: Matthew Bryza
“If positions agreed in St. Petersburg have changed, then negotiations are at a more difficult stage,” Matthew Bryza, former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Former US Assistant Secretary of State for the South Caucasus, former OSCE MG U.S. Co-chair, Director of the International Center for Defence studies in Tallinn (Estonia), told 168.am, touching upon observation by Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijani president, that there is no need for application of installation of investigative mechanisms.
Note, Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijani president, positively assessed the meeting of June 20 in St. Petersburg between Azerbaiajn, Armenia and Russia. In his words, Azerbaijan stressed not once that Nagorno Karabakh conflict should only have phase-to-phase settlement, “As for the claim of the Armenian side on installation of investigative mechanisms, there is no such a necessity at this stage. Firstly, those mechanisms don’t exist. Nobody says to us concretely what these mechanisms are. Under such case that issue won’t be proper to discuss today. Secondly, what sense does it make? If under it “freezing” of the conflict and initiating of additional operations on the contact line is understood, then Azerbaijan, surely, won’t take that step.
Bryza stated that the Minsk Group should obviously sit down with president Aliyev and ask him for clarification, because what was announced after this most recent meeting of the presidents, that president Putin appeared in St. Petersburg, that they have agreed to develop that mechanism. Thus, it turns out that this information contradicts the outcome of the meeting. The Minsk Group, according to the diplomat, needs to clarify that issue. According to him, if position of the Azerbaijani side has changed, then Minsk Group should negotiate moving forward.
“When there is so much unclear information, it’s difficult to say more,” he noticed.
Full interview will be available at tomorrow’s publication of “168 Hours” newspaper.
By Araks Martirosyan
