Armenian PM sees no quick diplomatic solution in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia`s prime minister stated on Wednesday he noticed no risk of a diplomatic resolution at this stage within the battle with Azerbaijan over the mountain enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.

His feedback, after Azerbaijan`s president stated he believed the battle may very well be solved militarily, elevated doubts over a diplomatic initiative by main powers to convey peace to the South Caucasus area.

In the newest flare-up of the decades-old battle, lots of of individuals have been killed since Sept. 27 in clashes in and round Nagorno-Karabakh, which is a part of Azerbaijan however populated and managed by ethnic Armenians.

The violence has raised fears of a wider struggle drawing in Turkey and Russia, which has a defence pact with Armenia, and elevated concern in regards to the safety of pipelines in Azerbaijan that carry Azeri gasoline and oil to world markets.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated on Wednesday he had held separate talks with the international ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, who’re anticipated to satisfy U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington on Friday.

Pompeo stated he hoped a diplomatic resolution may very well be discovered.

“The right path forward is to cease the conflict, tell them to de-escalate, that every country should stay out – provide no fuel for this conflict, no weapons systems, no support – and it is at that point that a diplomatic solution, that would be acceptable to all, can potentially be achieved,” he advised reporters.

But hopes that Pompeo`s direct involvement in mediation would possibly result in a breakthrough had been dampened by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan`s remarks in an deal with to the nation.

“We have to realise that the Karabakh question, at least at this stage and for a very long time, cannot have a diplomatic solution,” Pashinyan stated.
“Everything that is diplomatically acceptable to the Armenian side…is not acceptable to Azerbaijan any more.”

Pashinyan had beforehand stated that Armenia was prepared for talks primarily based on mutual concessions and an answer acceptable to all sides of the battle.

Azerbaijan`s most important situation for ending the preventing is an Armenian withdrawal from Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia guidelines this out, and accuses Azerbaijan of creating a land seize.

Azeri President Ilham Aliyev stated this month he believed there was a army resolution to the battle, whereas his aide Hikmet Hajiyev stated on Wednesday that Azerbaijan didn’t anticipate any breakthrough from the deliberate talks in Washington.

FAILED CEASEFIRES

Azeri forces, bolstered in recent times by elevated army spending and the acquisition of weapons from shut ally Turkey, say they’ve made territorial features within the newest preventing. Nagorno-Karabakh says its forces have repulsed repeated assaults and that the scenario is underneath management.

The preventing is the worst since Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan because the Soviet Union broke up three many years in the past, leading to a struggle wherein about 30,000 individuals had been killed.

In additional diplomacy, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian flew to Brussels to satisfy leaders of the NATO army alliance and the European Union.
“We are deeply concerned with the violations of the ceasefire agreement that lead to new casualties,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg advised a information convention after the assembly.

“It`s important that the sides demonstrate restraint, observe the ceasefire regime and sit around the negotiation table.”

Mediation has for years been led by Russia, France and the United States underneath the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the continent`s main safety and rights watchdog.

But Azerbaijan says mediation has achieved nothing in three many years and needs Turkey concerned in peacemaking.

Turkey stated it might not hesitate to ship troopers and supply army assist for Azerbaijan if such a request had been made by Baku.

“There has not been such a request from our Azeri brothers yet, but we have said we will support them in any way they wish,” Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay advised CNN Turk.

He additionally criticised the OSCE`s Minsk group of making an attempt to maintain the problem unresolved and supporting Armenia, each politically and militarily.

Russia has brokered two ceasefires since Sept. 27 however neither has held. There was no indication Lavrov had made any breakthrough in his talks with the Azeri and Armenian international ministers, Jeyhun Bayramov and Zohrab Mnatsakanyan.

In the newest preventing, either side stated clashes continued in a number of areas close to the road of contact.

Nagorno-Karabakh stated 834 of its army personnel had now been killed since Sept. 27, along with 37 civilians.

Azerbaijan says 61 Azeri civilians have been killed and 291 wounded, however has not disclosed its army casualties.