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By Maryam Levina

YEREVAN. – Armenian News-NEWS.am interviewed Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, the Personal Representative of the OSCE CIO on the conflict dealt with by the OSCE Minsk Conference.

According to the statements of the parties, there is a stable growth of ceasefire violations in recent years. How can You comment on this, and, in Your opinion, what is the reason?

It is true that the parties claim there is a deterioration of the situation. Incursions, casualties along the line of contact and the border and targeting of villages and civilians have been reported. The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, the co-chairs of the Minsk Group and representatives of other countries and international organisations have called for strict observance of the ceasefire. I am very concerned by these reports. Every casualty is a tragedy that can be avoided if the ceasefire is respected fully.

The ceasefire is in force through the agreement reached between the parties and their political will. It is therefore the responsibility of the sides to ensure that their troops do not violate the ceasefire on the line of contact and the border. It is up to the commanders of the respective forces to implement it. The Chairmanship of the OSCE, the co-chairs of the Minsk Group and I are working to strengthen the ceasefire and find ways to mitigate the consequences of these incidents. The ultimate responsibility however lies with the sides to adhere to ceasefire agreement.

In the current situation, what additional steps can the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office undertake?

I am ready to assist in any way possible to build confidence and I work continuously to present ideas in accordance with my mandate. I offer the chance for local commanders to talk directly to each other using OSCE radios during monitoring exercises, and support any measures that the parties might consider useful to lower the number of incidents on the Line of Contact and the border. I pay a lot of attention to the protection of civilian population in areas close to the front lines visiting the villages and getting acquainted with their situation. On the findings I report to the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, the co-chairs of the Minsk Group and the OSCE. Generally I try to develop and implement confidence building measures that can alleviate the situation and are conducive to progress in the peace negotiations that are conducted by the co-chairs. I would like to highlight that, whatever our activities, we can only do what the sides agree to accept.

Visits by OSCE teams to the border and the Line of Contact are no substitute for a ceasefire verification mechanism. Nonetheless, local commanders and others continue to tell us that our visits provide opportunities for those involved to address issues of mutual concern and, where necessary, to mitigate the risk of any escalation. These visits also enable us to convey to the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, information about the situation as seen by those on the ground.

Do the parties approach You with a request to conduct additional monitoring?

We stand ready to increase assistance in anyway the parties would require.

Do the parties provide evidence of the opponent’s aggression?

During our monitoring exercises and in our liaison with the sides, we receive information regarding incidents on the LOC and border. I do not have the resources to conduct investigations about what happens on a day-to-day basis and which side violated the ceasefire. All observations and messages we receive are reported to the co-chairs, the Minsk Group members and the Chairperson-in-Office in our monitoring reports.

Is it possible to enlarge the mandate of the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, as well as, to increase the number of field assistants?

In principle, it is possible to change the mandate of my Office, but it would need the agreement of all 57 OSCE member states, including Azerbaijan and Armenia.

In your opinion, does the international community pay proper attention to the “frozen conflicts”?

It is important that the NK conflict resolution does not fade into the background due to events elsewhere. The Chairperson-in-Office and the co-chairs, as well as the ministries of foreign affairs of all of the Minsk Group member states remain seized of the matter and are doing all they can to support the peaceful resolution of this conflict. In 2014, three meetings were organised at the highest level by co-chair countries and every CiO regularly visits the region in support of this process. However, it is ultimately up to the sides to agree the content of the peace agreement, and all of the OSCE structures have been put in place to support the sides. The co-chairs are working continuously to present ideas to the sides to move the settlement process forward. My office broadly supports these activities, with the aim of moving the process forward and deescalating tensions.

Mr. Ambassador, You have spent a large part of your life in South Caucasus. What kind of memories and feelings connect You with the region and Nagorno Karabakh?

I feel privileged to have experienced excellent hospitality everywhere in the region, in Armenia and Azerbaijan, but also in Georgia, where my Office is headquartered. My role has allowed me to meet, talk to and work with men and women of different generations from across this region. Some are people with dynamic public profiles; others are private individuals. Many of their lives are marked by conflicts and their consequences. I believe that the people of this region deserve to live in peace and look forward to the day when the region can realise its full economic and social potential. Many people I have met not only long for peace and for reconciliation but are also energetically engaged in achieving these. I wish them every success and hope that we can continue to work together towards what are our common goals.

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