CSTO: Karabakh conflict should be resolved with mediation of Co-Chairs

A regular meeting of the Council of Foreign Minister of Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member states was held in Bishkek on May 27. Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian also attended the meeting. The participants adopted a statement which is related to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict as well. The statement in particular reads:

“CSTO member states, reiterating the necessity of a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, stress the importance of the rapid completion of work on the fundamental principles of the Nagorno Karabakh problem resolution with the mediation of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, based on the principles and rules of international law, the United Nations Charter, and the provisions of the Helsinki Final Act, which are particularly related to the nonuse of force or threat of force, territorial integrity and the right to self-determination”.

Azerbaijan has recently put forward the idea of a “great peace agreement”, moving the Madrid Principles to the background. The Armenian side insists that it is necessary first of all to reach an agreement on the fundamental Madrid Principles and then to move to a more complex and comprehensive stage such as the great peace agreement. The development of such an agreement presupposes a greater willingness to make compromises, which is unlikely, taking into account the current negotiations on the Madrid Principles.

It is noteworthy that the OSCE statement was signed also by the countries which often support Azerbaijan within the framework of Organizations of Islamic Conference, namely Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.