BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 9. The EU highly values the agreements reached in Washington between Azerbaijan and Armenia, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas said in a statement, Trend reports.
According to her, the agreements reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan at the White House mark a significant breakthrough toward ending decades of conflict.
"We strongly commend both sides and the US Administration for using the momentum and making progress possible. It will now be important to ensure the timely implementation of the agreed steps, notably the signing and ratification of the peace treaty," she said.
Kallas pointed out that following the finalization of bilateral Armenia-Azerbaijan negotiations on the text of the peace agreement last March, this represents an important and decisive next step towards full-fledged normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, based on mutual recognition of each other’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of borders in line with the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration.
She noted that once implemented, the steps agreed in Washington are expected to have a positive impact on the overall peaceful development of the region, and to help bring societies divided by legacies of conflict closer to sustainable peace and shared prosperity.
"The EU fully supports the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization process and has been working for years with both parties and our international partners to create the conditions for lasting peace. We continue to stand ready to work with partners towards full-fledged normalization, providing additional support and expertise, including for the practical implementation of next steps," Kallas said.