BAKU CALLS ON EUROPEAN UNION TO MAKE SHARP STATEMENTS TO ARMENIA

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
June 11 2008

Azerbaijan, Baku, 11 June / corr. TrendNews I. Alizade/ The official
Baku believes that the European Union (EU) should issue sharp statement
to Armenia about Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"It would be better for the EU to make open statements to the opposite
party in order to restore peace and stability in the region," Khazar
Ibrahim, the spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan said
while commenting on France chairmanship in the EU.

Slovenia will hand over the EU chairmanship to France on 1
July. The official Paris will preside over the organization for
six months. France, as one of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen,
is mediating in peace talks for the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. The other co-chairman countries include the United States
and Russia.

Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including the
Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. The
occupation began in 1988. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a
ceasefire agreement.

The political experts of Azerbaijan believe that the chairmanship of
France in the EU will not accelerate peace talks and settlement of
the conflict.

"At present, the EU can not be actively be involved in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement process as Russia do not provide
conditions for it," Vafa Guluzade, the political expert and the
former adviser to the president of Azerbaijan for foreign policy,
said to TrendNews on 11 June.

"Neither France, nor European Union have any opportunity to seriously
influence the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Besides,
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has not been solved yet though the
chairmen of OSCE and Council of Europe, and EU representatives on
conflict were changed more than once. Therefore, France chairmanship
in the EU and co-chairmanship in the Minsk Group will not influence
talks on the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Guluzade said.

The political expert Hikmat Hajizade stated that the United States and
Russia should reach to an agreement to solve Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"EU does not have any leverage on Russia. Therefore, EU chairmanship
of France will not influence the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. The problems of Russia should be solved first of all for
the settlement of the conflict," the political expert said.