EUROPEAN COMMISSION CONCERNED OVER CEASEFIRE VIOLATIONS IN KARABAKH CONFLICT ZONE

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 19, 2010 – 16:10 AMT 11:10 GMT

The European Commission issued a Progress Report Armenia on
implementation of the European Neighborhood Policy in 2009.

According to it, negotiations within the Minsk Group on the peaceful
settlement considerably intensified in 2009 and contributed to
enhanced dialogue.

"The Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan held six bilateral
meetings during the year. In addition, the Foreign Ministers of
the two countries met a number of times, including during the OSCE
Ministerial Council in December 2009 in Athens," the report reads.

Besides, the European Commission referred to the joint presidential
statement issued during the G8 Summit in L’Aquila in July 2009,
urging the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan "to resolve the few
differences remaining between them and finalize their agreement on
the Basic Principles."

"However, overall tensions remain and the situation continues to be
fragile. Incidents of exchanges of fire and casualties on the line
of contact continued to be reported and are cause for concern,"
the report reads.