Azerbaijan, Baku, May 21 / Trend E.Ostapenko /
Resolution on the South Caucasus, approved by the European Parliament, is unlikely to change the further course of negotiations on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, European expert Michael Emerson believes.
"I doubt that this resolution will somehow affect the further negotiations, as the process fully depends on weather Azerbaijan and Armenia can agree," Emerson, head of the European Neighbourhood Programme in the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) in Brussels told Trend over phone.
The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the South Caucasus, which called the EU to become more involved in stabilizing the region.
The presence of "frozen conflicts" in the region is unacceptable, say MEPs, who express concern at the recent increases in military spending and call for the withdrawal of Armenian forces from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
Emerson has doubts about the tangible impact of European Parliament's resolution because "the European Parliament's resolution does not have binding force of execution by the EU institutions - neither the European Council, nor the European Commission.
He said there is some pressure from the Minsk Group to reach interim agreement for return of the occupied territories around Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan, ensure transport through the Lachin corridor, as well as further addressing of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh.
"However, there is no sign that Azerbaijan and Armenia can agree to that," Emerson said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts. Since the sides signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994, the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the US - have been holding the peace negotiations.
The UN Security Council adopted four resolutions in 1990s on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the occupied territories. However these resolutions have not been implemented yet.
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