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SOMEBODY WANTS NAGORNO-KARABAKH SITUATION TO REMAIN UNCHANGED - LITHUANIAN DEFMIN
Baltic News Service
June 25, 2012 Monday 11:43 AM EET
VILNIUS, Jun 25, BNS - There are people among mediators in the
Yerevan-Baku negotiations on Nagorno-Karabakh who want the complicated
situation in the region to remain unchanged, Lithuanian Minister of
National Defense Rasa Jukneviciene, currently visiting Armenia, told
BNS following Monday meetings with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
and the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs Eduard Nalbandyan.
Jukneviciene said the meeting with the Armenian leader focused on
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and regional security issues.
Russia , the United States and France are acting as mediators as part
of the OSCE Minsk Group in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
"I can only say, and I said that to the Armenian president, that
we in Lithuania see that perhaps some countries, I wouldn't want to
name them now, which act as mediators, are interested in the status
quo position. As we see many conflicts in the former Soviet Union,
ongoing and frozen, and it seems sometimes that not all parties are
interested in the resolution," Jukneviciene said when asked whether
all mediating countries held the same position.
According to the Lithuanian defense minister, that Lithuania's
position on the regulation of this conflict matches the European
Union's position that there can be no status quo and that a solution
must be found.
"And the second thing is that there can be no alternative to a
peaceful resolution of this conflict. Any attempts to solve this
issue by force would be unacceptable to the international community,
including Lithuania. I assured the president that the EU has the same
goals, and that it's very important to build up trust," the Lithuanian
minister said.
Jukneviciene underlined that attempts to back one side or the other
"would undermine the process." She also added that she felt during
the meetings Armenia's wish to step up cooperate with NATO member
countries.
"I felt great wish that cooperation between Armenia and NATO member
countries like Lithuania increased so that they could keep the balance
in their foreign policy and among various structures. As far as I
understood relations with NATO member countries is very important
for them," Jukneviciene said.
Backed by the Armenian authorities, Armenians living Nagorno-Karabakh
regained control of the region following the war in the 1990s when
over 30,000 people were killed. The international community does not
recognize the region's independence.
Nagorno-Karabakh has been a hot-spot despite the 1994 truce that ended
the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Thousands of Russian troops are
still deployed in Armenia, helping to protect the country's borders.
Baltic News Service
June 25, 2012 Monday 11:43 AM EET
VILNIUS, Jun 25, BNS - There are people among mediators in the
Yerevan-Baku negotiations on Nagorno-Karabakh who want the complicated
situation in the region to remain unchanged, Lithuanian Minister of
National Defense Rasa Jukneviciene, currently visiting Armenia, told
BNS following Monday meetings with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
and the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs Eduard Nalbandyan.
Jukneviciene said the meeting with the Armenian leader focused on
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and regional security issues.
Russia , the United States and France are acting as mediators as part
of the OSCE Minsk Group in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
"I can only say, and I said that to the Armenian president, that
we in Lithuania see that perhaps some countries, I wouldn't want to
name them now, which act as mediators, are interested in the status
quo position. As we see many conflicts in the former Soviet Union,
ongoing and frozen, and it seems sometimes that not all parties are
interested in the resolution," Jukneviciene said when asked whether
all mediating countries held the same position.
According to the Lithuanian defense minister, that Lithuania's
position on the regulation of this conflict matches the European
Union's position that there can be no status quo and that a solution
must be found.
"And the second thing is that there can be no alternative to a
peaceful resolution of this conflict. Any attempts to solve this
issue by force would be unacceptable to the international community,
including Lithuania. I assured the president that the EU has the same
goals, and that it's very important to build up trust," the Lithuanian
minister said.
Jukneviciene underlined that attempts to back one side or the other
"would undermine the process." She also added that she felt during
the meetings Armenia's wish to step up cooperate with NATO member
countries.
"I felt great wish that cooperation between Armenia and NATO member
countries like Lithuania increased so that they could keep the balance
in their foreign policy and among various structures. As far as I
understood relations with NATO member countries is very important
for them," Jukneviciene said.
Backed by the Armenian authorities, Armenians living Nagorno-Karabakh
regained control of the region following the war in the 1990s when
over 30,000 people were killed. The international community does not
recognize the region's independence.
Nagorno-Karabakh has been a hot-spot despite the 1994 truce that ended
the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Thousands of Russian troops are
still deployed in Armenia, helping to protect the country's borders.