The deployment of international peace support forces is provided by the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement plans, Russian Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Igor Popov said in an interview with Interfax.

“In practice, the issue on peacekeepers may arise after the key agreements on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement are reached. The launch of the international peace support forces must be preceded by the adoption of a relevant UN Security Council resolution, as provided by the decision of the OSCE Budapest Summit.  The selection of peacekeeping contingents from the countries ready to provide them will be carried out on the basis of an agreement between the sides to the conflict,” the mediator said.

Asked about the position of the Russian side on the proposals to include unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh in the talks and expand the number of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs, including at the expense of Germany, Popov noted that the Karabakh people indeed do not formally take part in the talks. “However, much attention is attached to this topic during the meetings of the Co-Chairs in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh. I suppose that at a certain stage - for instance, after reaching the framework agreement – they will be given an opportunity to return to the negotiation table.”

Referring to the expansion of the number of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, Popov noted that this topic is occasionally included in media outlets, being actively circulated among the political community.

“But the issue on increasing the number of the Co-Chairs has been advanced neither during the talks of our “troika” with the sides, nor in the contacts with other mediators of the initiative. After all, reaching an agreement doesn’t depend on the number of the Co-Chairs, but on the sides’ readiness to reach compromise,” he noted.  

“As to Germany, as the current OSCE Chairman and member of the Minsk Group, it actively works in the direction of Karabakh [conflict settlement], taking direct part in the implementation of the Vienna agreements related to the reinforcement of confidence-building measures between the sides. The Co-Chairs closely keep in touch with the Germany representatives,” the Co-Chair stressed.