Azernews.Az

YEREVAN – Armenia and Azerbaijan that face a long-standing conflict should step up efforts to forge dialog between their local bodies, head of an Armenian association of local bodies has said.

"Such a dialog is already underway at the level of the two countries’ NGOs, and it is important to turn it into dialog between local authorities. This will allow to create a good atmosphere for speeding talks between the two countries’ leadership," said Emin Eritsyan, head of Armenia’s Local and Self-Administration Association, who attended a workshop organized by the European Commission in Baku on Wednesday.

A fragile ceasefire has been in place between the two countries since a brutal war in the early 1990s that claimed some 30,000 lives and displaced about one million Azerbaijanis. OSCE-brokered peace talks have been largely fruitless so far and sporadic clashes on the frontline continue.

Eritsyan told reporters that the war has been disastrous for both countries, and there are refugees on both sides.

"One of the important points in the negotiating process underway between Azerbaijan and Armenia is a return of the displaced persons to their former places of residence."

According to Eritsyan, a resumption of hostilities is unlikely. "Our nations have seen [the horrors of] war and don’t want its replay," he added.