Azernews.Az

The European Union is discussing with Azerbaijani and Armenian officials new proposals on confidence-building measures to accelerate a settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan has said.

Speaking to reporters, Roland Kobia recalled that EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton pledged during her visit to Azerbaijan in late 2011 that the bloc would step up effort to facilitate a solution of the long-standing conflict.

"We support and applaud the efforts of the [mediating] OSCE Minsk Group, but we want to come up with new ideas on building confidence… to resolve the conflict faster and based on the will of the sides," Kobia said.

He said those ideas are being discussed with the Azerbaijani and Armenian governments.

"Certainly, we will disclose those ideas. But first, we are going to comprehensively discuss them with the parties."

Azerbaijan and Armenia waged a brutal war in the early 1990s. About 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory has been occupied by Armenian armed forces since then. Peace talks brokered by the US, Russian and French chairs of the Minsk Group have been largely fruitless so far.

Kobia also noted that EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Philippe Lefort visited Azerbaijan on Tuesday and held meetings with the president, the ministers of foreign affairs, justice and security. The Nagorno Karabakh conflict was the main topic of the meetings, he said.

This story is published by AzerNEWS Weekly under a project funded by the Foundation for State Assistance to the Development of the Media under the President of the Azerbaijan Republic.