Azerbaijan, Baku, Aug. 13 /Trend S. Ahmadova/
The European Union stresses the importance of finding a peaceful settlement to the conflicts in the South Caucasus and calls for strong commitment by all concerned parties in this respect, spokesperson of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, Maja Kocijancic told Trend.
Also, the EU believes that the strengthened relations between the EU and the three countries in the South Caucasus have opened new avenues and opportunities for the EU to support conflict settlement efforts in the region. The EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia will continue to play a significant role in this regard, Kocijancic noted.
As regards Nagorno-Karabakh specifically, the EU continues to support the mediation efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group, including recent statements by the Presidents of the Minsk Group Chair countries urging the leaders of all the sides to recommit to the Helsinki principles, particularly those relating to the non-use of force or the threat of force, territorial integrity, and equal rights and self-determination of peoples, spokesperson of Catherine Ashton said.
She also noted that the EU supports appeals to avoid actions or rhetoric that could raise tension in the region and lead to escalation of the conflict. The EU stands ready to provide enhanced support for confidence building measures, in support of and in full complementarity with the Minsk Group, with the view to facilitating further steps towards the implementation of peace, Kocijancic said.
