Baku, Azerbaijan, June 28

By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:

Poland stands ready to support all efforts for peaceful resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Krzysztof Czaputowicz said in an interview with Trend.

Czaputowicz noted that Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is of particular concern since the ceasefire is not regulated and there are now and then deadly incidents along the line of contact.

There is no alternative to a peaceful settlement of the conflict, which must be resolved in accordance with international law, he said.

“A lasting peace must be built on trust and confidence. Poland stands ready to support all efforts in order to help both sides reach a peaceful resolution,” noted the minister.

Czaputowicz pointed out that Poland highly values the mediation efforts by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs even if so far they resulted in a relatively limited progress in bringing the parties closer together.

“We were pleased to support the arrangement of the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Cracow on January 18, 2018. The meeting was meant to contribute to building mutual trust – an important factor enabling progress in the peace process. Poland will continue to encourage organizations, institutions and partners to make practical and political contribution in support of the settlement process,” said Polish foreign minister.

He went on to add that Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, and his team significantly contribute to OSCE efforts towards conflict prevention in this region.

“They monitor the line of contact and assist in solving problems pertaining from the violent incidents. As the only international presence on the ground, they remain a reliable source of information. We are glad that the Polish diplomat is leading this process,” said Czaputowicz.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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