Ex-OSCE MG co-chair: Azerbaijan, Armenia need no mediators

Former OSCE Minsk Group co-chair Matthew Bryza has said that Azerbaijan and Armenia don’t need mediators anymore.

“They have come to a point where both national leaders are saying we want a peace treaty. We have agreed on the basic five principles, including mutual recognition of each other’s territorial integrity. The risk of Armenian forces being on Azerbaijani territory with the separatist political regime is gone. That was the main obstacle to the two leaders being able to reach a peace treaty,” Bryza told Azertac.

“I do think that not only that the leaders can reach a peace treaty, I think, it is likely. And you know, until the last couple of months, I never said that. You could go back and look at all of my statements throughout 20-plus years. I never said a peace treaty looks like it’s possible or even likely. It’s likely. Both leaders want it. The only thing that could stop it is if the extreme nationalists that are Pashinyan’s opponents both in Armenia and in the United States, the Diaspora, were to sabotage politically what’s happening,” he emphasized.

Bryza noted that the peace treaty is significant for the development of the region.

He noted that Pashinyan knows that if the transportation links are restored between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and connect Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan and Türkiye that will help to boost Armenia’s economy.

Bryza noted that the peace treaty will make all investments a reality.