ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Nov 10 2006

JAVIER SOLANA: EU SUPPORTS MEDIATORY EFFORTS OF OSCE MG FOR KARABAKH
CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

The EU supports the mediatory efforts of OSCE Minsk Group for the
Karabakh conflict settlement, EU Supreme Commissar on foreign policy
and security, Javier Solana, said in an interview to the "Trend"
Azeri Agency. You cannot say the EU remains passive. The EU has done
a lot. The conflicts are at the root of many of the problems that the
region is facing. I underline the importance of continued and
sustained negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan with a view to
reaching an agreement as soon as possible. The EU supports the
mediation efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group. I hope that the meeting of
both Foreign Ministers in Brussels on 14 November will help to make
further progress.

Also regarding Georgian internal conflicts, the EU considers that
peaceful resolution of these conflicts is of vital importance for the
future of all region. Peter Semneby, the EU Special Representative
for the South Caucasus is assisting Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia
to pursue further political and economic reforms and the sustainable
development of the region, by contributing to the peaceful settlement
of conflicts, and by supporting further cooperation between the
States of the region, J. Solana said. Asked what importance does the
European Union attach to the co-operation with the South Caucasus
countries, J. Solana answered that the fact of the three South
Caucasus countries being neighbours of the EU, being included in the
European Neighbourhood Policy, already signals the EU’s desire for a
special relationship with the region. Having an ENP Action Plan with
the three countries will further deepen our relations by arriving at
agreed reform priorities which the EU will support through
partnerships for reform. The importance the EU attaches to its
relations with the South Caucasus is also reflected in the high
number of recent visits by EU and European officials to the three
countries. The EU Special Representative, in close coordination with
the EU Heads of Mission in Baku, Tbilisi and Yerevan, is in constant
contact with the authorities of the three countries in order to
facilitate intensive and trustful communication between the three
countries and the EU. In our contacts with all three governments in
the South Caucasus we have stressed that resolving their frozen
conflicts is essential for the region to progress. Regional stability
is necessary for each of those countries to derive the full benefits
from the ENP Action Plans, EU Supreme Commissar said.