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Baku: EU Urges To Advance Peaceful Solution To Nagorno-Karabakh Conf

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  • Baku: EU Urges To Advance Peaceful Solution To Nagorno-Karabakh Conf

    EU URGES TO ADVANCE PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT

    AzerNews, Azerbaijan
    April 3 2013

    By Sara Rajabova

    The European Union urges both parties to the Armenia-Azerbaijan
    conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh to promote and encourage a peaceful
    solution.

    Head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan Roland Kobia made the
    statement at a press conference on Wednesday. Kobia added that the
    sides also need to strengthen confidence-building measures.

    "We saw a low path of negotiations on the conflict between Azerbaijan
    and Armenia on Nagorno-Karabakh in 2012," Kobia said. "The European
    Neighborhood Policy (ENP) progress report 2012 includes
    recommendations for Azerbaijan and Armenia to step up the efforts to
    reach peaceful resolution of the conflict."

    Kobia went on to say that the EU has a special representative on this
    conflict and it would be very useful if he had access to the occupied
    territories.

    Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war in the early 1990s.

    Armenian armed forces have since occupied over 20 percent of
    Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including
    Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions. The UN Security Council
    has adopted four resolutions on Armenia's withdrawal from the
    Azerbaijani territory, but they have not been enforced to this day.

    A precarious cease-fire was signed in 1994. However, units of the
    Armenian armed forces commit armistice breaches on the frontline
    almost every day.

    Russia, France and the U.S. -- co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group --
    are mediating peace negotiations. Peace talks
    have been mostly fruitless so far.

    Kobia also noted the importance of confidence-building measures,
    saying that the EU calls on both parties to promote an overall
    environment which would encourage and support peace activities.

    Last year it was reported that EU Special Representative for the South
    Caucasus Philippe Lefort plans to visit the Armenia-occupied
    Azerbaijani territories.

    However, the Azerbaijani government urged Lefort to explain the
    purpose of his planned visit to Nagorno-Karabakh.

    "Nagorno-Karabakh is under occupation and one can visit these areas
    only after obtaining Azerbaijan's permission," Deputy Foreign Minister
    Araz Azimov stated then.

    Azimov noted that for now the EU is not involved in the conflict
    settlement, but only supports the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group. In
    the future, however, the EU may be involved in resolving any issues
    related to the conflict, the deputy minister said.

    http://www.azernews.az/azerbaijan/51652.html

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