Statement: EU sees positive signal for progress in peaceful settlement of Karabakh conflict
By Trend
The European Union (EU) sees positive signal for progress in peaceful settlement of Karabakh conflict, Trend reports citing a Statement by the European External Action Service (EEAS) Spokesperson on recent developments toward the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
“Exchanges in recent months between the Prime Minister of the
Republic of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, and the President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, as well as meetings of the
Foreign Ministers under the auspices of the Co-Chairs of the
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk
Group, most recently in Paris on 16 January 2019, send a positive
signal for progress in the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict,”
reads the statement.
The European Union is looking forward to the full implementation of their outcomes, including the recent Foreign Ministers’ agreement on the need to take concrete measures to prepare the populations for peace, as well as the consideration of steps aimed at reinvigorating the negotiations, said the document.
“The European Union continues to fully support the mediation efforts and proposals of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, including through the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia, as well as through civil society confidence-building measures across the conflict divide. All would stand to benefit from lasting peace, which would help to enable the South Caucasus region to fulfil its potential,” reads the statement.
The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stéphane Visconti of France and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America) hosted consultations between Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov and Acting Foreign Minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan on 16 January in Paris.
The ministers discussed a wide range of issues related to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and agreed upon the necessity of taking concrete measures to prepare the populations for peace.
The Co-Chairs plan to meet the leaders of the two countries in the near future.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in
1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a
result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied
20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and
seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council
resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the
Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
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