The UK is concerned by the on-going ceasefire breaches along both the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh
On Tuesday 11 February 2014, a short debate was held in the UK Parliament (the House of Commons) on the UK policy towards Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan initiated by MP Stephen Pound, APA reports.
The UK Foreign Office Minister Mr Mark Simmonds took part in the debate and made a speech. In his speech, Mark Simmonds said that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict continues to hamper development in both Armenia and Azerbaijan and causes further instability in an already troubled South Caucasus region.
The Minister added that the conflict is sometimes described as a frozen conflict and this is misleading. Fighting continues to these days and very recently. The UK is concerned by the on-going ceasefire breaches along both the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. There were reports of increasing numbers of ceasefire violations in January and early February.
He said that the UK strongly supports the work of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group-led peace process. The Presidents of the three Co-Chair countries of the OSCE Minsk Group reiterated at last year’s G8 summit in Loch Erne, it is primarily for the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments to take ownership of the peace process. It is their conflict and they must take responsibility in order to resolve it. The Co-Chairs work hard to facilitate progress and we and the international community stand ready to provide further support when the time is right.
According to the Minister unfortunately, the perceptions many citizens of both countries have of their close neighbor now are founded on negative stereotypes and aggressive rhetoric. The longer this conflict continues and the longer both governments shy away from preparing their populations for peace, the greater the loss of life will be for both sides and the more difficult finding a peaceful solution will become.
The Minister also urged both sides to exercise restraint and avoid provocations. The British Government is committed to doing everything it can to foster efforts towards resolution of the conflict. The British Government will continue to encourage Azerbaijan and Armenia to: exercise restraint; avoid provocation; and to redouble efforts to achieve a negotiated settlement, based on the principles of refraining from the threat or use of force, territorial integrity and peoples’ right to self-determination.
In addition, the Minister also noted that the UK has invested over £1.5 million over the last three years, funding projects which attempt to break down the walls and develop understanding between the communities affected by the conflict.
In his conclusion, Mr Mark Simmonds said that the UK, as a friend of both Armenia and Azerbaijan, will continue to support all efforts to resolve this protracted conflict. These efforts are crucial in helping both countries – and the wider region – reap the substantial rewards that lasting peace and stability can bring.
/Apa/
