ARMENIA SHOULD NOT FOCUS ON KARABAKH STATUS QUO: EU REPRESENTATIVE

Trend
Nov 10 2009
Azerbaijan

Armenia is not interested in maintaining the status quo in Karabakh.

The country cannot stay forever in limbo, EU Special Representative
for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby said in an interview with the
Kommersant newspaper.

"It is good that the process of the Armenian-Turkish talks withdrew
from a standstill," he said. "Opening the Turkey-Armenia border may
be the first step to overcoming the abnormal situation where three
of the longest borders in the region are closed – Armenia-Turkey,
Armenia-Azerbaijan and Russia-Georgia."

According to the official, getting Armenian relations back on
track with neighboring countries is necessary for normal regional
development. Semneby said Armenian-Turkish ties have reached a
threshold and a breakthrough is pending. The ratification process
will be hard for a Turkish-Armenian agreement, but it is in both
countries’ interests.

"I am sure that in the long term it is in the interests of Azerbaijan,
because Azerbaijan is also interested in open borders in the region,"
he said. "The August war showed that the South Caucasus countries are
vulnerable and this vulnerability can be removed only by resolving
these issues. I am confident that the Armenian leadership thinks so
and the status quo in Karabakh is not in the interests of Armenia. It
cannot stay in limbo forever."

According to Semneby, efforts must be placed in the Caucasus to
achieve these objectives.

"And this requires the activity of third parties, such as the EU or
Russia. I hope that together we can ensure dialogue," he said.