British analyst urges more int’l efforts on Garabagh
The OSCE Minsk Group brokering settlement to the Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict over Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh is incapable of resolving
the dispute on its own, a British analyst was quoted as saying by
the Armenia Today news agency.
Thomas de Waal told a conference, "Garabagh conflict settlement: the real and the unreal", that international experts and organizations, including the European Union, should be closely involved in the conflict resolution process.
"If tensions rise, Europe will be forced to become involved in eliminating the aftermath of the conflict, because when we say European interests, mainly access to and transit of energy resources is implied."
The analyst emphasized that Baku leans toward a peaceful settlement of the conflict but has not ruled out a military solution.
De Waal went on to say that a normalization of the strained relations between Turkey and Armenia could facilitate Garabagh settlement. According to him, if it was not for discords between the two estranged neighbors, reconciliation between Azerbaijan, Turkey’s ally, and Armenia would be more feasible.
Armenia has had territorial claims against Azerbaijan, its South Caucasus neighbor, since the early 1990s. The country’s armed forces have been occupying over 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s internationally-recognized territory since the two countries signed a precarious cease-fire in 1994 following a lengthy war. The United States, Russia and France have been brokering the peace process through the Minsk Group, but the negotiations have been largely fruitless so far.*
Thomas de Waal told a conference, "Garabagh conflict settlement: the real and the unreal", that international experts and organizations, including the European Union, should be closely involved in the conflict resolution process.
"If tensions rise, Europe will be forced to become involved in eliminating the aftermath of the conflict, because when we say European interests, mainly access to and transit of energy resources is implied."
The analyst emphasized that Baku leans toward a peaceful settlement of the conflict but has not ruled out a military solution.
De Waal went on to say that a normalization of the strained relations between Turkey and Armenia could facilitate Garabagh settlement. According to him, if it was not for discords between the two estranged neighbors, reconciliation between Azerbaijan, Turkey’s ally, and Armenia would be more feasible.
Armenia has had territorial claims against Azerbaijan, its South Caucasus neighbor, since the early 1990s. The country’s armed forces have been occupying over 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s internationally-recognized territory since the two countries signed a precarious cease-fire in 1994 following a lengthy war. The United States, Russia and France have been brokering the peace process through the Minsk Group, but the negotiations have been largely fruitless so far.*
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