Tuesday, April 26 2016 08:46

 Vladimir Kazimirov, the Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group in 1992-1996, the Head of Council of Veterans at the Russian Foreign Ministry, says the author of the "four-day war" in Karabakh is beyond doubt. As for the statements by Azerbaijani ambassador to Russia, he overplayed and got his leadership wrongly by saying that Baku has a right to take back the territories by force. 

Talking to Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper, Kazimirov said not all are ready to implement the ceasefire agreements. "Heydar Aliyev said quite strictly that the conflict must be settled by peaceful methods. Meantime, his successor is pronouncing the words 'preferably by peace methods' with great difficulty. How he acts, you could see on April 2," the diplomat said. 

Kazimirov recalled that the Bishkek Protocol required not only a ceasefire, but also strengthening of it. In particular, the diplomat said, there was a phrase: "Without a reliable ceasefire, it is impossible to liquidate the aftermaths of the tragic confrontation." Here is the problem of the conflict's settlement, Kazimirov said. 
"Baku demands the territories without providing any status to Nagorno-Karabakh and without undertaking any commitments not to resume the military actions. The Armenian side and we too demand a reliable ceasefire and commitments not to resume the military actions," he said.

Kazimirov highlighted that his proposal to confirm the ceasefire and observe the ceasefire up to signing of a great political agreement to stop the armed conflict was accepted and signed by all the sides to the conflict - Azerbaijan, Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. 

"Yet before the ceasefire, on February 18 1994, Defense Minister of Russia Pavel Grachev held a discussion with the Defense Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan and representative of Karabakh's armed forces. The protocol of the meeting says that after a ceasefire, the sides will pull back the troops from the Line of Contact. Defense Minister of Azerbaijan Mammadov signed the document too. Later, he refused from his commitments. The troops have not been pulled back," the diplomat recalls. 
He recalled another agreement  - on strengthening of the ceasefire.  Azerbaijan even refuses to admit that there was such agreement, though Heydar Aliyev personally participated in its drafting. The diplomat said the agreement presented in details what each side was required to do in case of an incident caused by the other side. Therefore, a refusal from arrangements is, unfortunately, a bad tradition of Baku," Kazimirov said for conclusion.