European Union is ready to step up its efforts in support of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution, the President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Durao Barroso said Wednesday after his talks with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan.
“I have informed President Sargsyan that the EU is ready to step up its efforts in support of the resolution of the conflict notably through the EU-funded programme of confidence building measures such as people-to-people contacts. I hope that President Sargsyan will support this programme”, said Barroso.
According to him, during his meeting with Armenian President, they discussed the negotiations on peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
“I hope we will see some progress soon through the ongoing negotiations of the OSCE Minsk Group”, he said.
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 resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the occupied territories.
Trend
