Richard Giragosian holds great expectations from the “Irish Spring,” as the start of the Irish chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) offers a fresh degree of optimism from the promise of an innovative Irish approach to conflict transformation in the South Caucasus.
Armenians Azerbaijanis and Georgians, and indeed Abkhaz and Ossetians and other nationalities in the region, need to think beyond the constraints of the present situation and to start articulating ideas that can eventually be picked up by governments and politicians so that in twenty years’ time the world can look at the South Caucasus and see a prosperous and dynamic region at peace with itself and with its neighbours.
The Polish diplomat has been in the post since 1997 and provides continuity to the work of the OSCE Minsk Process dealing with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Ara Harutyunyan says that Stepanakert Airport is ready, and all it needs to start working is a plane, but Baku insists use of the airport without its permission would be illegal.