Charpentier: final decision of Karabakh issue is up to the parties of  the conflict, not the intermediaries

ArmInfo. OSCE Minsk Group co chairs mission is to search and find ways of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, however, the final decision of the issue  settlement should be made by the parties, France Ambassador to Armenia Jean Francois Charpentier stated during the press conference in Yerevan on June 1.

He reminded that France, as a country-co chair of OSCE MG not once  stated on readiness to support the arrangement of the meeting between  the countries and accept such a meeting, this type of commitment  stated former French leader Francois Hollande during the meeting in  March of the current year with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan. "As  soon as the time comes, France is ready to welcome such meeting. We  have multiply stated that status quo is unacceptable. Soon settlement  to the conflict should be found, which would be acceptable for both  sides and on the basement of three main principles, as it is  impossible to go on under the conditions of permanent violations of  ceasefire and mutual offenses neither from panhuman nor from  political point of view.  Talking about the recent statement of co  chairs, Charpentier stressed that it was obviously an addressed one,  but previous statements were also addressed if read between the  lines. 

Answering the question that on MFA conviction, it is time to move  from addressed statements to concrete actions, to moderate  the  militaristic policy of Azerbaijan, the diplomat said: "I do not agree  with your statement of the question. OSCE Minsk Group has always been  active in conflict settlement issue. The mediators are in constant  contact both  with each other, and  with the presidents and foreign  ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. After 10 days the mediators will  visit the region. But I also want to remind you that the final  solution to the conflict is up to the parties, not the mediators. "

To note, OSCE Minsk Group co chairs on May 18 came out with a  statement related with missile strike, done on May 15 by Azerbaijani  MF to Nagorno Karabakh military object. "According to information  gathered from several reliable sources, the  Azerbaijani armed forces  fired a missile strike on military equipment  on the opposite side of  the line of contact on May 15. From the  evening of May 16 until May  17, the Armenian armed forces struck back  with mortars of various  calibers.  Both sides seriously violated the  ceasefire and are  alarming. There are conflicting reports about the  goals of these  recent attacks, as well as on the victims and the  damage done. The  Minsk Group and the Personal Representative of the  OSCE Chairman-  in-Office continue to collect additional data and  analytical  materials in order to obtain more complete and accurate  information  about the current situation. The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs condemn  these recent violations of the  cease-fire regime and urge the  parties to take all necessary measures  to prevent further escalation  of the conflict," the mediators said.