PACE rejects Walter’s report resolution

In “Escalation of Violence in Nagorno-Karabakh and Other Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan” report Robert Walter called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to be faithful to obligations towards the Council of Europe and commitment to use exclusively peaceful means of conflict resolution .

The author stresses that no progress was reported in terms of settlement in the past 20 years and he calls upon the OSCE Minsk Group to consider reviewing its approach to the resolution of the conflict.

The author visited Azerbaijan several times while writing the report. However, he refused to visit Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh despite Armenian and NKR government invites.

Armenia and Artsakh have criticized Walter’s report several times stressing that it was made ignoring the norms and principles developed by PACE, was based only on opinion of Azerbaijan without taking into consideration suggestions from Armenian side and the position of the only international body mediating Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict - OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship.

Armenia, Artsakh as well as the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group urged PACE members not to take steps which could undermine the mediators’ mandate or complicate ongoing negotiations on Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement.