This Way Status Quo will be Impossible to Maintain: Frank-Walter Steinmeier
“OSCE priorities and NK conflict settlement are in the focus of the regional visit,” Frank-Walter Steinmeier, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, said at the joint press conference with Edward Nalbandian, RA Foreign Minister.
He highlighted the period of his visit to Yerevan, mentioning with regret that he couldn’t stay for three days in a wonderful country like Armenia, like Pope Francis, although he stated those hours in Yerevan will be important.
He uncovered purpose of his regional visit—to Yerevan, then to Baku and Tbilisi. According to him, OSCE primary issues, NK conflict settlement process are put forward. In the focus of Yerevan dialogue were those topics, and they’ll cover NK issue with RA president, as a primary issue.
Touching upon the four-day war, Steinmeier stressed, that in both sides casualties have been recorded. In his words, in all sides, it became clear for OSCE MG Co-Chairs and OSCE, that this way status quo will be impossible to maintain.
In his assessment the more this conflict continues, the more risk for escalation of military operations increases.
“We need to avoid, we need to firmly exert efforts to find a permanent settlement to this conflict. Recently two presidential meetings have been recorded in Vienna and St. Petersburg: if we gather these vents, these meetings, works by MG, we may say, that all this calmed the situation on the frontline, and to maintain this situation and we attempt to make negotiation process more material.
Readiness of OSCE, MG Co-Chairs, parties to the conflict to go to a compromise is necessary,” Steinmeier said.
He also stated that they definitely respect Armenia’s aspirations for reforms and events to that end. He expressed hope that they’ll provide free and fair elections in Armenia. He also informed that they appear in favor of deepening Armenia-EU relations and they hope that success will be recorded during negotiations.
Steinmeier also stressed that it’s not obligatory to contrast deep ties with Russia with good relations with the EU, they may supplement one another.
By Araks Martirosyan
