OSCE Envoy: UK closely follows ongoing Azerbaijani-Armenian negotiation

UK Ambassador to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Neil Holland has said that the UK Government is closely following the ongoing peace negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and welcomes the participation of both countries in working towards a settlement of all outstanding matters between them.

“We congratulate both sides on the progress made so far and urge you to build on this momentum. It remains clear: only through peacefully facilitated dialogue can a lasting settlement be reached,” he said in his speech at the OSCE Permanent Council on June 6 held in Vienna, addressing Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Caliber.Az reports per the UK government's official website.

Moreover, he noted that the OSCE can make a valuable contribution to peace and stability in the region, through its versatile toolkit and valuable expertise, from conflict mediation, resolution, and monitoring to economic and environmental issues

“I know my Minister is looking forward to meeting you and discussing these and other issues at the UK-Azerbaijan Strategic Dialogue in London soon. Foreign Minister, allow me to echo my colleagues and stress that for the OSCE to remain fully functional it requires strong governance and adequate funding. We regret that the continued non-agreement of the Unified Budget is negatively impacting the work of the whole Organisation. Agreement is essential to the effective running of all field operations and institutions – and we encourage Azerbaijan to engage constructively on the next revision of the Unified Budget Proposal,” he said.

As reported earlier, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov addressed the Special OSCE Permanent Council on June 6, informing those present about Azerbaijan’s views on the OSCE agenda, post-conflict situation, ongoing normalisation process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as Azerbaijan’s efforts to promote peace.

The minister pointed out that the negotiations held in Washington, Brussels, Moscow and Chisinau during the last few weeks made it possible to better understand the positions of the parties.

Jeyhun Bayramov said that Azerbaijan expects mutual political will from the Armenian side in order to eliminate differences of opinion on three specific directions that form the agenda of bilateral discussions.

In this context, the minister stated that the continuation of the illegal military presence of Armenia in the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan, consistent interference in Azerbaijan’s internal affairs, obstruction of dialogue between the central authorities of Azerbaijan and local residents of Armenian origin of the Karabakh region, and the conduct of a smear campaign on an international scale, including within the framework of the OSCE, are the main obstacles to negotiations on interstate normalisation.

“Azerbaijan supports effective multilateral cooperation on various platforms, including the OSCE. At the same time, our country is interested in cooperation within the framework of the OSCE and its institutions based on its needs and priorities,” he remarked.

Speaking about the importance of the common security environment in the OSCE region, the minister stressed that the principles and obligations of the organisation, which are established in the Helsinki Final Act, should be applied equally and unconditionally without geographical advantages and double standards, starting with respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of the borders of the OSCE participating states.

He also emphasised that Azerbaijan’s continuous activity within the framework of the OSCE is proof of its commitment to contribute to peace, security and stability in the region.

To recap, in October 2022, Azerbaijan refused to discuss the OSCE budget for 2023, thus protesting against the decision of the organisation to send an evaluation mission to Armenia. 

"Azerbaijan has not objected to the EU civilian mission in Armenia along the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan as an additional confidence-building measure. What we are seeing now goes beyond the agreements reached in Prague. The OSCE is a common asset of all 57 participating states. We will oppose the blatant violation and disregard of OSCE documents and decisions and will oppose any attempts to undermine the spirit of cooperation that remains within this organisation. This unilateral step raises questions about such programs that support the achievement of these goals, presented in the draft joint budget proposal for 2023. Until the current situation is corrected and compliance with OSCE documents and decisions is restored, the Azerbaijani mission will not consider the draft budget for next year, including the working hours of the post office and the required resources. The Azerbaijani representation reserves the right to return to this issue if necessary," the Azerbaijani delegation to the OSCE said in a statement in October, 2022.