Visit of Co-Chairs of Minsk Group to Yerevan and Baku reminds of attempts to return NKR to negotiating table

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) Minsk Group have met heads of Armenia and Azerbaijan. However, Stepanakert was not included in their visit programme to Southern Caucasus. Armenia's initiatives to return the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) to the negotiating table have received no developed. Armenian political analysts exclude the military way of settling the conflict.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the Armenian Premier, Nikol Pashinyan, has spoken in favour of the NKR's return to the negotiating table. Against this background, Azerbaijan has strengthened his military rhetoric.

The Co-Chairs have visited Yerevan and Baku to organize a meeting of the two leaders; therefore, they failed to visit the NKR, said Akop Badalyan, an observer of the edition named "Lragir.am".

The mediators are trying to ensure the political control over the status quo, treating any escalation on the frontline as unlikely.

According to Stepan Safaryan, an observer Azerbaijan will not dare to scale-up the conflict, since Armenia is not ready thereto, and this will have undesirable consequences for Azerbaijan.

If the NKR is not returned to the negotiating table, the status quo will continue for many years, Mr Safaryan is sure.

Ruben Megrabyan, a political analyst, also believes that at this stage, Baku is unlikely to escalate the situation on the frontline.