Serzh Sargsyan does not believe that the July events on the at the contact line are a new stage of the Karabakh conflict
ArmInfo.Serzh Sargsyan does not believe that the July events on the at the contact line (Azerbaijan used the civilian population as a human shield, during the shelling of the Karabakh positions -ed.) -are a new stage of the Karabakh conflict, because, according to his assessment, unfortunately, it is pretty long time the tension on the contact line has been established .
The Armenian leader stated that there are occasional local incidents, which, thanks to the parties, so to speak, the media receive a wide public response.
At the same time, the Armenian leader noted that he does not share the opinion that the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group put an equal sign between the parties. He noted that at least three times it was indicated who initiated ceasefire violations. "How else can the OSCE Minsk Group or the international community act. Each time pointing to Azerbaijan as an offender, and be sure that the initiator of violations is Azerbaijan. Each time, pointing to Azerbaijan as the initiator of violations, means to encourage the Armenian side to respond more sternly to these actions or take more serious steps. Quite frankly, I once in a semi-official atmosphere had a long conversation with one of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and asked why you do not point to the violator's line. What he said to me: "You know, pointing the line, there will be an impression that we have sided with one of the conflicting countries. There will be an impression that we are pursuing a pro-Armenian policy. And our goal is to continue the negotiation process. " There is no alternative to the peace process. An alternative to the peace process is war. What is not desirable, including for us, and first of all for us, since the life of each of our officers, soldiers is dear to us, "the Armenian President stressed..
Sargsyan also assured that the Minsk mediators clearly know the side of the initiator of tension. At the same time he added that the mediators are not all-powerful. "Undoubtedly, if each of the co-chairing countries of the MG wishes to impose something on Azerbaijan, it will certainly be able, if this is the number one task for his country. If it comes from the interests of one's own country. But, in any case, you imagine that the US, Russia and France have tried to impose their will on some country. There is one more circumstance - what you impose is not always effective. Look at how many hotbeds of conflict around the world, how terrorism spreads. The powerful of this world are trying to deal with this, but not always it is successful and in a short time. Therefore, the position of the mediators who are trying to persuade, rather than rigidly impose, is quite understandable here. Thirdly - the problem here is not that intermediaries find out who has violated and declared this. When we talk about the introduction of mechanisms, it's not just about determining the level of the offender, but also investigating which soldier and officer violated the ceasefire and which side, "said the President of Armenia. According to Sargsyan, the Armenian side demands the establishment of these mechanisms, and the Azerbaijani side for obvious reasons does not take this step, which demonstrates the obviousness that they are the initiators of tension on the contact line.
The Armenian leader added that the Azerbaijani side has its explanation of the reasons for refusing to introduce mechanisms, which in particular is that "if the Armenian side does not make concessions and if mechanisms are created, they will contribute to the establishment of the status quo." According to him, this is the position of Azerbaijan, so the process has stalled.
At the same time, Sargsyan believes that the only guarantee of not spreading the processes even if there is a political solution is the fighting efficiency of the army. The Armenian leader is convinced that any political agreement will be confirmed in various international structures, including the UN Security Council, where there are many mechanisms, including imposing. "If there is a political solution, our own armed forces plus a political solution can bring peace to the region," Sargsyan summed up.
It should be noted that on July 4, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces continuously shelled Karabakh positions from 60 and 82 mm mortars throughout the day, in addition, they used Turkish missile systems TR-107. The NKR armed forces took counter-measures, as a result of which two Azerbaijani civilians were killed, another one was injured. This is due to the fact that the enemy's firing point was located in the immediate vicinity of the settlement. The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs issued a statement urging the sides to stop fighting and return to the negotiating table.