Trend, Azerbaijan
May 26 2011
EU’s intensification in resolving Nagorno-Karabakh conflict not to
lead to drastic changes
by A. Gasimova, Trend News Agency, Baku, Azerbaijan
May 26–BAKU, Azerbaijan — Even if the European Union intensifies its
activity to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, it will not lead to
drastic changes, the director of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute
at Johns Hopkins University Svante Cornell said.
The report “Renewed European Neighbourhood Policy” states that the EU
is ready to strengthen its involvement in resolving the protracted
conflicts. According to the report, the EU must be ready to intensify
its involvement in the formats where it has not been represented yet,
such as the OSCE Minsk Group on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.
“I consider this issue with suspicion,” he told Trend. “At present,
the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is explosive. It would be nice if
the EU became active in this issue, but I do not think that this will
lead to major changes.”
He said that the support and intensification of France, a member of
the OSCE Minsk Group, is necessary to strengthen the EU.
“At present, the OSCE Minsk Group is not very active in its actions,”
he said. “It takes a passive position.”
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 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 the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the
occupied territories.