ENVOY POINTS TO GROWING EU INTEREST IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT – ARMENIAN AGENCY

Mediamax news agency
5 Apr 06

Yerevan, 5 April: “I am not happy with statements about a possible
military resolution to the Karabakh conflict. During my recent visit to
Azerbaijan I said that any attempts to resolve the conflict militarily
will entail catastrophic consequences,” the EU special representative
for the South Caucasus, Peter Semneby, said in Yerevan today.

Speaking at a news conference in Yerevan, Peter Semneby said that the
Armenian and Azerbaijani leaderships bear “historical responsibility”
for the conflict settlement and that 2006 is a very convenient year to
resolve the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict. “The window of opportunities is
still open and the European Union is ready to render every assistance
to the peace process,” the EU special representative said.

Peter Semneby noted that “my mandate focuses more on the assistance
to the conflict settlement than the mandate of my predecessor Heikki
Talvitie, and this is a political signal of the EU’s growing interest
in the settlement of frozen conflicts”. He said that the EU’s increased
interest in conflict settlement is also explained by the fact that
Armenia and Azerbaijan are expanding their relations with the EU
within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy.

Peter Semneby said that the European Union could play a significant
role in the implementation of projects of post-conflict rehabilitation
in the region after the signing of a peace agreement.

The EU could also take part in peacekeeping efforts.

The EU special representative stressed that the EU’s growing interest
in the conflict settlement does not at all mean that the format of
the OSCE Minsk Group will be changed. Peter Semneby said that they
“are doing their job well”.