EU hopes Karabakh conflict to be resolved peacefully – Malena Mard

The European Union (EU) is following the developments on the contact line of Azerbaijani and Armenian troops very closely, Malena Mard, head of the EU Delegation in Azerbaijan, told reporters in Baku May 5.

As EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini said herself, the status quo of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is unsustainable, Mard said.

The EU hopes peaceful negotiations under the OSCE regarding the conflict's resolution will continue, Mard said, adding that the EU supports OSCE MG efforts for the conflict's peaceful settlement.

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.

/By Trend/