Azernews.Az

Azerbaijan is extremely important country for the EUand the organization tries to use its best to develop relations, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus, Philippe Lefort, told journalists in Baku on Tuesday.

"The aim of the visit is to discuss pending issues between Azerbaijan and EU, and to discuss the support of the EU to the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," he said.

He said the EU supports the mediating OSCE Minsk Group's efforts on the resolution of the conflict.

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.