All OSCE Powers are Focused on “Extinguishing” Regional Visit: Alexander Rahr

“It’s difficult to say which results will Steinmeier’s regional visit have,” Alexander Rahr, representative of Russian Valdai Discussion Club, Research Director of the German-Russian Forum,  told 168.am, giving assessment to possible implications of the visit of Frank-Walter Steinmeier, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, to the region.

Note, German Minister yesterday stated in Yerevan, that the status quo can’t continue with its current form, however, military operations have no the right to be repeated. He stated, that OSCE has expectations both from the Armenian and the Azerbaijani sides, moreover, ceasefire should be maintained, so that the sides are able to pass on to substantive negotiations.

Alexander Rahr stated that Germany presides OSCE, it’s is one of the most powerful states of Europe, conditioned by which Germans intend to assume responsibility for developments occurring in OSCE territory. Rahr stated that half year of presidency has already passed, moreover, clashes have been unleashed on NK conflict zone, which led NK conflict settlement to a deadlock.

“Germany intends to record some result by the end of its presidency and currently all OSCE powers are focused on extinguishing NK conflict fire, as the conflict is rather serious, it resumed in April, and there is a threat, that it may repeat again. In Germany great importance is attached to weakening of tension on NK conflict zone. During conferences, participants of which is Steinmeier as well as his diplomats, the conflict is being observed as the most sharpened conflict in Europe, thus Steinmeier’s efforts are quite understandable and the fact, that it should be on hot points attempting to find ways for agreement.

However, accordance of settlement mechanisms and generally the conflict is at a complicated stage, thus, it’s difficult to expect serious outcomes from the visit. I don’t see ground to build situation settlement, it’s at a deadlock, a deadlock feeling in the conflicting states, among the mediators, and Germany attempts to eliminate this situation,” Alexander Rahr said.

In his conviction, Steinmeier will succeed to introduce some clearance in issues, which are a subject for discordance, like investigative mechanisms and expansion of OSCE mission on the contact line. However, it’s difficult to say that breakthrough changes will be recorded, “The attitude existent today in Europe towards this conflict is of crucial importance, it’s currently observed as the most dangerous, which is an alarm for all mediators, who can’t allow another war on Europe’s neighboring zone.  Efforts to that end are mobilized, which definitely will pass a positive impetus to the settlement process, decreasing the threat for resumption of military operations. If Steinmeier succeeds to confirm means of ceasefire maintenance and agree between the sides, then it’ll be possible to materialize content negotiations between the presidents,” Rahr said.

By Araks Martirosyan