Tweet
SETTLING NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT TOP PRIORITY FOR EU: OFFICIAL
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
May 16 2014
By Sara Rajabova
Solving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains one of the top priorities
of the EU's foreign policy.
Stefan Fule, the European Commissioner for Enlargement and European
Neighborhood Policy, made the remarks in an interview with the 'The
Business Year - Azerbaijan 2014' magazine.
"The EU is fully committed to supporting the settlement process of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Fule said.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made
territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since a lengthy war in
the early 1990s that displaced over one million Azerbaijanis, the
Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's
internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and
seven adjacent regions.
Only a peaceful, negotiated settlement can allow the entire region to
move toward a secure and prosperous future and help unleash the full
potential of the South Caucasus region as a gateway between Europe
and Asia, Fule noted.
He also said the EU is concerned about the lack of tangible progress
in settling the conflict.
"In this context, we welcomed the meeting of the Azerbaijani and
Armenian Presidents in Vienna on November 19, 2013, and commended
the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs for their efforts in facilitating the
resumption of top level meetings," Fule underscored.
He stressed that the EU has called upon Azerbaijan and Armenia to
step up their efforts toward an agreement on the Madrid Principles
as a basis for peace, in accordance with the commitments undertaken
by the Presidents within the OSCE Minsk Group.
"Concerned about the escalation of tensions due to confrontational
rhetorics and serious incidents along the line of contact and
international border between the two countries, the EU has urged both
sides to respect the ceasefire agreement, fulfill their commitments
made in the framework of the Minsk Group, and refrain from actions
and statements that could heighten tension and undermine the peace
process," Fule added.
He also said Azerbaijan's engagement with the EU is based on the
European Neighborhood Policy and the Eastern Partnership, adding that
the current legal framework for bilateral relations is the Partnership
and Cooperation Agreement, signed in 1999.
From: A. Papazian
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
May 16 2014
By Sara Rajabova
Solving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains one of the top priorities
of the EU's foreign policy.
Stefan Fule, the European Commissioner for Enlargement and European
Neighborhood Policy, made the remarks in an interview with the 'The
Business Year - Azerbaijan 2014' magazine.
"The EU is fully committed to supporting the settlement process of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Fule said.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made
territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since a lengthy war in
the early 1990s that displaced over one million Azerbaijanis, the
Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's
internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and
seven adjacent regions.
Only a peaceful, negotiated settlement can allow the entire region to
move toward a secure and prosperous future and help unleash the full
potential of the South Caucasus region as a gateway between Europe
and Asia, Fule noted.
He also said the EU is concerned about the lack of tangible progress
in settling the conflict.
"In this context, we welcomed the meeting of the Azerbaijani and
Armenian Presidents in Vienna on November 19, 2013, and commended
the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs for their efforts in facilitating the
resumption of top level meetings," Fule underscored.
He stressed that the EU has called upon Azerbaijan and Armenia to
step up their efforts toward an agreement on the Madrid Principles
as a basis for peace, in accordance with the commitments undertaken
by the Presidents within the OSCE Minsk Group.
"Concerned about the escalation of tensions due to confrontational
rhetorics and serious incidents along the line of contact and
international border between the two countries, the EU has urged both
sides to respect the ceasefire agreement, fulfill their commitments
made in the framework of the Minsk Group, and refrain from actions
and statements that could heighten tension and undermine the peace
process," Fule added.
He also said Azerbaijan's engagement with the EU is based on the
European Neighborhood Policy and the Eastern Partnership, adding that
the current legal framework for bilateral relations is the Partnership
and Cooperation Agreement, signed in 1999.
From: A. Papazian