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EU CALLS FOR PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Aug 14 2013
14 August 2013, 12:31 (GMT+05:00)
By Sara Rajabova
The world's most influential international organizations and countries
call for the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
emerged upon Armenia's territorial claims against Azerbaijan.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Catherine Ashton's spokesperson Maja Kocijancic told Trend news agency
that the European Union stresses the importance of finding a peaceful
settlement to conflicts in the South Caucasus and calls for strong
commitment by all concerned parties in this respect.
Kocijancic pointed out the EU's support the mediation efforts of the
OSCE Minsk Group, including recent statements by the Presidents of
the Minsk Group Chair countries urging the leaders of all the sides
to recommit to the Helsinki principles, particularly those relating
to the non-use of force or the threat of force, territorial integrity,
and equal rights and self-determination of peoples.
She also noted that the EU supports appeals to avoid actions or
rhetoric that could raise tension in the region and lead to escalation
of the conflict.
The EU stands ready to provide enhanced support for confidence
building measures, in support of and in full complementarity with the
Minsk Group, with the view to facilitating further steps towards the
implementation of peace, Kocijancic emphasized.
She added the EU believes that the strengthened relations between
the EU and the three countries in the South Caucasus have opened new
avenues and opportunities for the EU to support conflict settlement
efforts in the region.
The EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus will continue
to play a significant role in this regard, Kocijancic said.
For over two decades, Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in
conflict which emerged over Armenia's territorial claims against its
South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory,
including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. A fragile
ceasefire has been in place since 1994, but long-standing efforts by
US, Russian and French mediators have been largely fruitless so far.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four
resolutions on its pullout from the neighboring country's territories.
Peace talks aimed at resolving the long-standing conflict, mediated by
Russia, France and the U.S. through the OSCE Minsk Group, are underway
on the basis of a peace outline proposed by the Minsk Group co-chairs
and dubbed the Madrid Principles. The negotiations have been largely
fruitless so far.
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Aug 14 2013
14 August 2013, 12:31 (GMT+05:00)
By Sara Rajabova
The world's most influential international organizations and countries
call for the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
emerged upon Armenia's territorial claims against Azerbaijan.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Catherine Ashton's spokesperson Maja Kocijancic told Trend news agency
that the European Union stresses the importance of finding a peaceful
settlement to conflicts in the South Caucasus and calls for strong
commitment by all concerned parties in this respect.
Kocijancic pointed out the EU's support the mediation efforts of the
OSCE Minsk Group, including recent statements by the Presidents of
the Minsk Group Chair countries urging the leaders of all the sides
to recommit to the Helsinki principles, particularly those relating
to the non-use of force or the threat of force, territorial integrity,
and equal rights and self-determination of peoples.
She also noted that the EU supports appeals to avoid actions or
rhetoric that could raise tension in the region and lead to escalation
of the conflict.
The EU stands ready to provide enhanced support for confidence
building measures, in support of and in full complementarity with the
Minsk Group, with the view to facilitating further steps towards the
implementation of peace, Kocijancic emphasized.
She added the EU believes that the strengthened relations between
the EU and the three countries in the South Caucasus have opened new
avenues and opportunities for the EU to support conflict settlement
efforts in the region.
The EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus will continue
to play a significant role in this regard, Kocijancic said.
For over two decades, Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in
conflict which emerged over Armenia's territorial claims against its
South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory,
including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. A fragile
ceasefire has been in place since 1994, but long-standing efforts by
US, Russian and French mediators have been largely fruitless so far.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four
resolutions on its pullout from the neighboring country's territories.
Peace talks aimed at resolving the long-standing conflict, mediated by
Russia, France and the U.S. through the OSCE Minsk Group, are underway
on the basis of a peace outline proposed by the Minsk Group co-chairs
and dubbed the Madrid Principles. The negotiations have been largely
fruitless so far.