BAKU: EC: status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can’t last long

Trend, Azerbaijan
June 14 2014

European Commission: status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can’t last long

Baku, Azerbaijan, June 14
By Elchin Mehdiyev – Trend:

The status quo in the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
can’t last long; the international community should make every effort
to resolve this conflict in accordance with the international
principles, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said on
June 14.

He made the remarks while delivering a lecture on ‘European
Union-Azerbaijan: new opportunities and challenges’ at Azerbaijan’s
ADA university.

Barroso underscored that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is a painful
issue for Azerbaijan, adding that although some 20 years have passed
since signing the ceasefire agreement, the sides haven’t reached peace
so far.

He went on to add that the EU wishes reconciliation between the
conflicting sides and supports the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group
with this regard.

European Commission president pointed out that the EU respects
Azerbaijan’s sovereign right.

Barroso underscored that it is not right to accuse the EU of not
helping to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, adding that this
conflict was created not by the EU, but by other forces.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result
of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent
of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven
surrounding districts.

The two countries 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.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress