OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier has expressed concern over the lack of political will in Armenia and Azerbaijan to come to an agreement to settle the conflict in the disputed region of Narogny Karabakh.
“There is an increasing concern there because the frustration seems to be increasing,” Zannier said in an interview with RIA Novosti on the sidelines of the 2012 OSCE Security Days conference in Vienna on Monday.
“There have been very robust efforts, political efforts to really try to move things forward. The sides have been very close to agree to a set of common principles on the basis of which they could build a solution… But it’s not moving,” Zannier said.
The conflict between the two Caucasus states erupted in the late 1980s, when the predominantly Armenian-populated region of Nagorny Karabakh claimed independence from Azerbaijan. It is estimated to have left more than 30,000 people dead on both sides between 1988 and 1994. The region has since remained under Armenian control.
There has been an increasing number of shootouts along the line of contact between the Armenin and Azerbaijani forces, as well as at the border between the two states, which Zannier said was a “worrying sign.”
“It is really one of those issues where you wonder whether it’s about the [OSCE conflict mediation] mechanism or whether the sides are not ready to take steps and make decisions that involve certain compromises,” he said.
Working with the public opinion and political forces in both countries is “one way of strengthening the ability of leaders to make these difficult decisions,” he said.
