YEREVAN. – From the point of view of the Karabakh settlement, the second half of 2017 was calmer. This opinion was expressed by the chairman of the parliament’s standing committee on foreign relations, deputy chairman of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia Armen Ashotyan at the meeting with journalists on December 22.

According to Ashotyan, the first half of 2017, was distinguished by a large number of cases of aggravation of the situation on the borderline: with provocations that led to human casualties.

“However, a certain easing of tension was recorded after the summit held in Geneva, after the meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan”, Ashotyan said, adding that it is necessary to remain vigilant in the issue of the Karabakh settlement, since the decline in tension is not conditioned by the proposals of Co-Chairs of OSCE Minsk Group, that were supported by both sides of the conflict. Moreover, Ashotyan noted that it is not related to the expansion of monitoring functions, the introduction of mechanisms for investigating cases of violations of the ceasefire.

As the chairman of the parliamentary committee noted, the incumbent President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev is responsible for the periodic exacerbations, and any aggravation is related to his position on the resolution of the conflict.

 “After all, Azerbaijan is an authoritarian state, and any decision made there on the Karabakh settlement is directly linked to the position and decision of the leader,” Armen Ashotyan said.