Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

Georgia can help Armenia and Azerbaijan to resolve their problems, NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the South Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai said at the meeting with the Georgian parliamentary delegation in NATO headquarter Brussels.

According to Appathurai, the parliamentary elections held in last October was a big step in the democratic development of Georgia.

"The changes have been made and will be, however, Georgia will remain our reliable partner, who is firmly committed to NATO, and can make a major contribution to the security of the region and can perform the role that will help Armenia and Azerbaijan to resolve their problems," Appathurai said.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a brutal war in the early 1990s that concluded with the signing of a fragile cease-fire. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions.

Mediators from Russia, France and the U.S. -- co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group -- have been brokering peace talks over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict since the 1994 ceasefire, but their efforts have not produced any result yet.

Appathurai further stated that NATO welcomes reforms happening in Georgia.

"I have a very positive experience and we are faithful friends of Georgia. Reforms, which are now held in Georgia, go in the right direction.," Appathurai noted.

The Georgian parliamentary delegation is on a visit to Brussels for two days. The delegation consisted of members of parliamentary committees on foreign relations, European integration and defense and security. Deputy chairman of the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs Zviad Kvachantiradze chairs the delegation. The visit of the delegation will end on April 18.