In a surprise mood swing, Azerbaijan has yanked from the United Nations General Assembly floor a draft resolution meant to reaffirm the right of displaced Azerbaijanis to return to the breakaway region of Nagorno Karabakh and its vicinity.
The disputed region’s main supporter, Armenia, was quick to thank the three Karabakh conflict-mediating powers – the US, France and Russia – for talking Azerbaijan out of pushing the divisive resolution through the UN.
Several days earlier, Armenia and Azerbaijan's neighbor, Georgia, secured UN support for a similar resolution that called for the return of ethnic Georgians expelled by separatists from the disputed Abkhaz and South Ossetian territories.
Baku said it decided to postpone discussion of the resolution in response to the trio's intention to field an international fact-finding mission to the territory, now occupied by Armenian troops. Armenia, in turn, responded that the Azerbaijani explanation holds no water since the mission was agreed months ago.
The US, French and Russian chairpersons of the Minsk Group, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe body tasked with mediating the talks, will lead the expedition to inspect the humanitarian situation in areas that border Karabakh.
Giorgi Lomsadze is a journalist based in Tbilisi, and author of Tamada Tales.
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