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25 May 2017

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Status quo in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is fragile, RIA Novosti quoted David McAllister, chairman of the European Parliament’s committee on foreign affairs, as saying May 25.

This conflict has no military solution, McAllister said in Yerevan, Armenia, adding that a long-term settlement based on international law is needed.

McAllister said the EU supports the OSCE Minsk Group's efforts in this work, calling on the parties to respect the ceasefire and their commitment to peaceful settlement of the conflict.

He noted that Brussels is concerned about an arms race in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, confrontational rhetoric and incidents on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, which lead to casualties.

McAllister said the EU urges the sides to resume negotiations without preconditions on the basis of the OSCE Minsk Group proposals.

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 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.