Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

NATO wants the soonest resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai told Trend news agency on September 13.

"The resolution of the conflict is very important, but it is possible only through the political methods," Appathurai said. "Therefore, NATO supports the efforts of OSCE Minsk Group."

Speaking about the possible role of NATO in solution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Appathurai said it is too early to talk about the role of any organization or a country in the resolution of the conflict while the two parties have not agreed upon the main principles on the settlement of the conflict.

"It is clear that the term of "frozen conflict" doesn't reflect the reality well. Both parties often report about the violation of ceasefire regime. There are serious loses among military and civilians," he said.

The situation on the contact line of Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces remains tense due to frequent ceasefire violations by the Armenian troops.

A precarious ceasefire, reached after a lengthy war that displaced over a million Azerbaijanis, has been in place between the two South Caucasus countries since 1994. Since the hostilities, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions on Armenia's withdrawal from the Azerbaijani territory, but they have not been enforced to this day.