The issue of Nagorno-Karabakh is a real concern for Europe, Anne Brasseur, the president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) said during a press conference in Yerevan April 13, the Armenian media reported.
"Karabakh must be a real concern for all of us, because it is about citizens that are part of our European family of the 47 member countries of Council of Europe," she said. "And the only way in which a solution can be found is, of course, through dialogue. Violence can never be an answer."
The PACE is set to draft a report on Nagnorno-Karabakh in order to make a modest contribution to the conflict settlement. That paper is not going to interfere with the OSCE Minsk Group process, and is intended to suggest rather than to instruct, she said.
In order for the report to be well- balanced, Armenian delegation in PACE is strongly encouraged to participate, she added.
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 US are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
Edited by CN