The adoption of a statement on Nagorno-Karabakh in Astana was not an extraordinary event. It was a reflection of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ work aimed at resolving the conflict, the expert in Turkic studies Ruben Safrastyan told journalists Dec. 1.

According to him, the document will play a decisive role in the settlement process. “It is noteworthy, however, that the statement does not give priority to none of the principles. It can be welcomed, especially in the context of the OSCE Summit ignoring the Azerbaijan-proposed priority of the territorial integrity principle, which is the reason for that country’s regular fits of hysteria. Another important aspect of the statement is that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is viewed as a separate factor. This suggests that the OSCE sees a settlement exclusively on the basis of the principles that were the cornerstone of the OSCE Minsk Group’s activities,” Safrastyan said. He also underlined the importance of the point obliging the sides to maintain ceasefire.  

The OSCE Summit opened on December 1 in Astana. The delegation headed by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan arrived in Astana on November 30.

The Heads of Delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries (the President of the Russian Federation Dmitri Medvedev, the Prime Minister of France Francois Fillon, and the Secretary of State of the United States Hillary Rodham Clinton), the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, and the President of Armenia Serge Sargsyan issued a joint statement. They agreed that the time has come for more decisive efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.