Tuesday, September 16 2014

It is time to continue the negotiations on the Karabakh conflict's resolution at a different level, James Warlick, the U.S. Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, the tripartite mediating body in the NK process, told reporters in Yerevan, Tuesday. The ambassador said at his upcoming meetings with President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian he will continue the discussion that was launched in Wales with Secretary of State John Kerry.

Ambassador Warlick said he hopes the Armenian people know what they want from the peace process. "It is very important to keep the Armenian people informed of our discussions," he said stressing the need for raising public awareness of the negotiations process in the conflicting countries.  Warlick expressed concern over the upsurge of tensions in the Karabakh conflict zone and the arms race in the region. He urged the conflicting parties to observe the ceasefire. 

The mediator admitted that the people might be irritated with the 20-year-long negotiations. However, he said, the mediators do not want the tragic war to repeat. The negotiations on such a complicated issues are not easy, but a big window has emerged in the process, Warlick said.

According to him, it is time for new-level negotiations, as rare meetings of the presidents and foreign ministers are insufficient. It is necessary to launch new official negotiations and the parties to the conflict should determine the format of these negotiations. "And we are ready to assist them in this process," the co- chair said. He emphasized that the mediators do not want to pre-determine the outcome of the process. It is very important for the two presidents to meet and continue the negotiations, as the final solution to the issue is possible only at the level of the presidents. It is the presidents that must assume the responsibility for the process, Ambassador Warlick said.

According to him, all the issues are subject to discussion and the mediators are for discussion of all the issues by the presidents and foreign ministers. He recalled that the OSCE MG Co-Chairs are now working with the parties to achieve a consensus on the 6 provisions that were discussed at Carnegie Foundation. He said the two leaders must ensure that the ceasefire is observed to avoid repetition of the tragic incidents of July-August 2014.  "The sides should observe the ceasefire. Escalation of the situation will not lead to the solution desirable to us. If we want durable peace, we must achieve confidence between Armenians and Azerbaijanis. This will help make progress in the process," Warlick said.

He assured media that the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan want peace and prosperity for their peoples. "I have always said that peace will bring Armenia a new wave of welfare," he said.
The diplomat refused to predict the outcome of the upcoming Aliyev-Sargsyan meeting in Paris. He just called it important for the presidents to achieve any result. Warlick believes that the major problem of the parties is lack of confidence in each other, but meetings of the presidents will help settle that problem.