Growing tensions in the Karabakh conflict zone bears no relation to the upcoming centennial of the Armenian Genocide, Director of the Caucasus Institute Alexander Iskandaryan told reporters, on January 30.
According to him, there was no upsurge, the situation has been escalating gradually and this escalation continues for a long time already.
Iskandaryan is sure that the situation is caused by a range of factors, particularly, slump of oil prices, deteriorating domestic situation in Azerbaijan, the deterioration in relations of Russia and the West, the upcoming Armenian Genocide commemoration date - April 24. All this creates difficulties to the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group mediators.
"Nothing can attract the attention of the world community and the people better than shelling. This is how Azerbaijani authorities try to justify their domestic problems. They say the people lack electric power and heat because of Armenia and Karabakh, because all the funds are sent to the military budget," the politician said.
He is sure that the mediators are successfully fulfilling their mission i.e. to maintain the negotiations for peaceful resolution of the conflict, but only Armenia and Azerbaijan can reach a final solution to it.
"Actually, one can find no platform where Russia, the West and Europe could work together now, except the Karabakh issue. Here, all the three parties are closely cooperating, which means that no one wants the military actions to resume in the region. Consequently, the mediators will further work to maintain the peace talks and status-quo," Iskandaryan said.