Trend, Azerbaijan
June 7 2013
EU: Discussions over Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement must be more
transparent
Azerbaijan, Baku, June 7 / Trend I. Izzet /
Discussions over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement must be more
transparent, head of the EU delegation to Azerbaijan Roland Kobia said
at the 'EU-Azerbaijan: security and integration' conference organised
jointly by the Centre for Strategic Studies under the Azerbaijani
President and the European Policy Centre today.
The EU supports Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, Kobia said.
He added that the OSCE Minsk Group is dealing with the settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and if negotiations are held, other
principles must be taken into account.
"There may be different interpretations in the conflict settlement,"
he said. "Azerbaijan hopes this will solve the problem. The
Azerbaijani territories have been occupied and the UN resolutions must
be fulfilled. The OSCE Minsk Group is the only format in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement. There is no other.
"There may be different interpretations. Some people in Azerbaijan
think this is not enough. But now there is only this way. If there is
another format, then other partners will be invited to this group and
we can consider this angle. At present, we try to maintain what
already exists. Discussions being held to resolve the problem must be
more transparent."
"Of course, Azerbaijan and Armenia will make decisions on the format,"
he said. "While preserving the existing format, it can be effective.
The mediation can be changed. The parties may express their political
will differently. Therefore, there is a great benefit to the
transparency of the process."
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France and the U.S. - are
currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.
From: A. Papazian
June 7 2013
EU: Discussions over Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement must be more
transparent
Azerbaijan, Baku, June 7 / Trend I. Izzet /
Discussions over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement must be more
transparent, head of the EU delegation to Azerbaijan Roland Kobia said
at the 'EU-Azerbaijan: security and integration' conference organised
jointly by the Centre for Strategic Studies under the Azerbaijani
President and the European Policy Centre today.
The EU supports Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, Kobia said.
He added that the OSCE Minsk Group is dealing with the settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and if negotiations are held, other
principles must be taken into account.
"There may be different interpretations in the conflict settlement,"
he said. "Azerbaijan hopes this will solve the problem. The
Azerbaijani territories have been occupied and the UN resolutions must
be fulfilled. The OSCE Minsk Group is the only format in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement. There is no other.
"There may be different interpretations. Some people in Azerbaijan
think this is not enough. But now there is only this way. If there is
another format, then other partners will be invited to this group and
we can consider this angle. At present, we try to maintain what
already exists. Discussions being held to resolve the problem must be
more transparent."
"Of course, Azerbaijan and Armenia will make decisions on the format,"
he said. "While preserving the existing format, it can be effective.
The mediation can be changed. The parties may express their political
will differently. Therefore, there is a great benefit to the
transparency of the process."
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France and the U.S. - are
currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.
From: A. Papazian