Azerbaijan, Baku, 11 June / corr. Trend I. Alizade/ The official Baku believes that the European Union (EU) should issue sharp statement to Armenia about Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"It would be better for the EU to make open statements to the opposite party in order to restore peace and stability in the region," Khazar Ibrahim, the spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan said while commenting on France chairmanship in the EU.
Slovenia will hand over the EU chairmanship to France on 1 July. The official Paris will preside over the organization for six months. France, as one of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen, is mediating in peace talks for the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The other co-chairman countries include the United States and Russia.
Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. The occupation began in 1988. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement.
The political experts of Azerbaijan believe that the chairmanship of France in the EU will not accelerate peace talks and settlement of the conflict.
"At present, the EU can not be actively be involved in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement process as Russia do not provide conditions for it," Vafa Guluzade, the political expert and the former adviser to the president of Azerbaijan for foreign policy, said to Trend on 11 June.
"Neither France, nor European Union have any opportunity to seriously influence the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Besides, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has not been solved yet though the chairmen of OSCE and Council of Europe, and EU representatives on conflict were changed more than once. Therefore, France chairmanship in the EU and co-chairmanship in the Minsk Group will not influence talks on the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Guluzade said.
The political expert Hikmat Hajizade stated that the United States and Russia should reach to an agreement to solve Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"EU does not have any leverage on Russia. Therefore, EU chairmanship of France will not influence the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The problems of Russia should be solved first of all for the settlement of the conflict," the political expert said.
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