EU offers help to seek solution to Nagorno-Karabakh problem

Associated Press Worldstream
May 18, 2004 Tuesday

BRUSSELS, Belgium — European Commission President Romano Prodi on
Tuesday offered to mediate between Azerbaijan and Armenia to find a
solution to the decade-long feud over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.

After meeting with Prodi, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev said he
welcomed EU involvement to boost the efforts of the “Minsk Group”
of negotiators from the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe.

“The European Union must take a more active stance,” said Aliev.

Nagorno-Karabakh is an ethnic Armenian enclave within Azerbaijan and
has been under control of an internationally unrecognized ethnic
Armenian government backed by forces who also occupy parts of
Azerbaijan adjoining the enclave.

Because of the dispute over the enclave’s final status, the
Armenia-Azerbaijan border is closed. Failure to resolve the issue is
seen as having discouraged investment in both countries because of
concern that another war over the enclave could erupt.

Prodi said a breakthrough is needed as quickly as possible.

“I expressed my will to be at the disposal of the two nations,” said
Prodi, insisting his offer was not targeted against the Minsk Group.

“We don’t want to disturb their work, but simply push them because it
has been so many years that there are no results,” he told reporters.
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress