Armenia sees the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict exclusively via peaceful means, under the negotiations within the OSCE Minsk Group, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said.
He made the remarks during the meeting with the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia, Herbert Salber, ARKA agency reported.
Sargsyan stressed that one of the major reasons for this approach is that over more that 20 years the OSCE Minsk Group has gained extensive experience.
Armenian president believes that the principles laid down by the Minsk Group can be a basis for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Meanwhile, the president underscored that the OSCE Minsk Group is only a mediator in the process of settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement and makes every effort within its mandate.
He praised the support of the European Union for the peaceful settlement of the conflict in accordance with the international principles and with the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.
Salber, for his part, pointed out that his appointment signals the EU's willingness to participate in the settlement of existing conflicts and to cooperate, adding that this is the purpose of his trip to the region.
During the meeting, Sargsyan and Salber also touched upon the cooperation between Armenia and EU.
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 two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
Edited by CN