Seyran Ohanyan: Creation of atmosphere of confidence is a key to success in any dispute
Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan is convinced that introduction of confidence building measures along the line of contact of the NKR and Azerbaijani troops is the key to success in the peace process.
At today's press conference, Ohanyan stressed the need to prevent any kind of ceasefire violations and to introduce international investigative mechanisms, which will make it possible to reveal who initiates the ceasefire violation and to make specific statements. "We have always come out for that. The latest meeting of the Presidents also covered that issue," Ohanyan stressed, noting that the Defense Ministers of Armenia and Karabakh have repeatedly implemented such measures unilaterally. "I think creation of atmosphere of confidence is the key to success in any dispute and to creation of relevant conditions for peaceful settlement," he said.
To note, on May 16 the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents met in Vienna in the presence of Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, Secretary of State of the United States of America John Kerry, and State Secretary for European Affairs of France Harlem Desir, representing the co- chair countries of the OSCE Minsk Group. "They reiterated that there can be no military solution to the conflict. The Co-Chairs insisted on the importance of respecting the 1994 and 1995 ceasefire agreements.
The Presidents reiterated their commitment to the ceasefire and the peaceful settlement of the conflict. To reduce the risk of further violence, they agreed to finalize in the shortest possible time an OSCE investigative mechanism. The Presidents also agreed to the expansion of the existing Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson in Office. Finally, they agreed to continue the exchange of data on missing persons under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to which the Presidents committed during the Paris summit of October 2014. The Presidents agreed on a next round of talks, to be held in June at a place to be mutually agreed, with an aim to resuming negotiations on a comprehensive settlement," the OSCE Minsk Group's statement says.