PETER SEMNEBY: ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN MISSED A VERY IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY

Public Radio of Armenia
Sept 27 2006

EU Special Envoy for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby said that this
year Armenia and Azerbaijan missed "a very important opportunity"
for resolution of the Karabakh conflict.

"If I’m to speak about the greatest disappointment during my tenure
in office as EU Special Envoy for the South Caucasus, I will point
out the incapacity of Armenia and Azerbaijan to reach resolution of
the Karabakh conflict. I do believe that a very important opportunity
was missed," Semneby said.

He is not particularly optimistic now. Not willing to offend any of
the sides, Semneby noted that Armenia and Azerbaijan should think
about the dangers and losses, which the unsettled conflict embraces.

"In case of Armenia great losses are obvious. Armenia’s relative
isolation is the direct consequence of the Karabakh conflict," Peter
Semneby said.