Azerbaijan, Baku, April 5 / Trend, A.Badalova /
The EU will continue to insist that Azerbaijan and Armenia step up their efforts to reach agreement on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council said in an interview to The Business Year magazine.
He said the so-called Madrid Principles remain a valid basis for peace, in accordance with the commitments made by the Presidents of both countries to France, Russia, and the US as co-chairs of the OSCE's Minsk Group.
"We will continue to ask for unconditional access for representatives of the EU to Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions," Rompuy said.
He also noted that the EU calls on both sides to strictly respect the ceasefire and exercise restraint, on the ground and in public statements, in order to prevent further escalation of the situation.
"Threats and the use of force do not contribute to a resolution of this persisting conflict," he said.
Rompuy said the EU fully supports the efforts of the Minsk Group and its co-chairs to seek a peaceful resolution. "Where useful, we stand ready to provide extra assistance for confidence-building measures," he said.
"And once there is a settlement agreement, the EU will be ready to help implement it, including rehabilitation assistance," Rompuy underlined.
According to him, reaching a solution will take time. He said building trust is the first step toward finding a solution.
"Without trust, there will never be peace," he added.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia 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.