European Commission expects concrete results at Karabakh talks by

STRASBOURG, July 7 (Itar-Tass) -- The European Commission expects
concrete results at the Nagorno-Karabakh talks by the end of this year,
European Union's High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and
Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Catherine
Ashton said at the European Parliament on Wednesday, July 6.
"We made clear to President Medvedev that we fully support his
personal mediation efforts, and the work of the Minsk Group: Regrettably,
despite strong messages at the highest level, the expected breakthrough at
Kazan on 24 June did not materialise," she said.
"President Aliyev of Azerbaijan and President Sargsyan of Armenia did
not take this opportunity to reach a compromise," Ashton stressed.
In her opinion, "relations between the two countries are difficult"
and "I have no illusions about the complexity of the negotiations", she
said.
Ashton believes that "efforts to find an agreement on the Basic
Principles must continue" and made it clear that "a continuation of the
status quo is unacceptable, as is any effort to resolve the conflict or
influence the negotiations by using force, or even the threat of force".
She urged the parties to "to redouble their efforts to find an
agreement before the end of this year. This would then happen before
domestic priorities take over in 2012: elections in Armenia in 2012, and
in Azerbaijan in 2013".
Ashton emphasised that the peaceful settlement of the Nagorny Karabakh
conflict is a key strategic interest of the European Union and that a
settlement of the conflict would transform the South Caucasus region,
paving the way towards "political and regional stability, and new economic
opportunities" and turning the South Caucasus into "a gateway between
Europe and Asia".
"All of this is clearly in the interest of the European Union, too,"
she said.
Ashton said the EU "is ready and committed to step up its efforts in
support of the work of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs" as "an agreement on the
Basic Principles is within reach".
Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev also expressed hope for "a
speediest resolution of the conflict on the basis of the principle of
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, which will allow hundreds of
thousands of Azerbaijani refugees to return to their land".
Aliyev regretted that the conflict remains unresolved for years and
expressed hope that progress will be made shortly.
He stressed that Azerbaijan hopes for more active participation of
mediators in the settlement efforts, primarily of the co-chairmen of the
OSCE Minsk Group and Russia "as a regional country and our neighbour"
especially in light of the active role Russia has been playing lately.