YEREVAN. – The matter of imposing sanctions on Azerbaijan can be put on the agenda of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), said Armenian political scientist Aleksandr Markarov, at a press conference on Friday. 

Reflecting on Azerbaijan’s veto on the extension of the mandate of the OSCE Office in Yerevan—the capital city of Armenia—and the respective conclusions by this organization, Markarov stressed as follows, in particular: “The OSCE knew whom it was dealing with, since several years ago, Azerbaijan itself launched the initiative of closing the OSCE Office in Baku [the Azerbaijani capital city].”

Subsequently, the analyst noted that membership in this organization is just a formality to Azerbaijan. 

“This organization’s cooperation with Azerbaijan is also a formality,” he added “The OSCE knows whom it is dealing with. But the rules of the organization are still the previous; that is, decisions are made by consensus. Azerbaijan’s decision will hardly become a basis for the OSCE to review its own rules of the game. But whether this is a basis for imposing sanctions on Azerbaijan is a matter that can be discussed, and it should be put on the agenda.”