Toivo Klaar, the EU’s special representative to the South Caucasus

The European Union’s special representatives for the Caucasus, Toivo Klaar, on Wednesday called on Artsakh to hold direct negotiations with Baku.

“There can be no other alternative to direct contacts between Baku and representatives of the Armenian population of Karabakh,” Klaar told the News.am agency.

Klaar called the recent discussions between Azerbaijani and Artsakh representatives the “right step” and welcomed the discussions, the most recent of which was held on March 1 with Azerbaijan insisting on discussing integration of Artsakh within Azerbaijan, a point rejected by Artsakh representatives.

News.am reported that Klaar emphasized that the dialogue must aim to instill and build confidence and not sow further divisions.

“We call on all interested parties to refrain from negative rhetoric and focus on finding a settlement through mutual concessions, which address the legitimate concerns of all sides,” Klaar told News.am.

He also expressed concern over recent ceasefire violations and called for the complete opening of the Lachin Corridor.

Earlier this week, the Artsakh Foreign Ministry criticized Klaar for non-constructive statements he made in Baku to both Azerbaijani officials and during an interview with the APA news agency.

In Baku, Klaar seemed to echo Baku’s insistence on installing checkpoints along the Lachin Corridor, saying that transparency would lend to a more beneficial settlement. Not only have Artsakh and Armenian officials opposed such checkpoints, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov also told Azerbaijani officials that such mechanism go against the provisions of the November 9, 2020 agreement.

The EU envoy also made his own interpretations of the agreement, saying that Azerbaijan’s insistence to carve a pathway through Armenia to Nakhichevan was included in the language of the statement, which it is not.