EU Special Representative notes progress in resolving Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby, completing his mission, stated in Yerevan today that he disagrees with the opinion that there is no progress in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Mediamax reported.
"There is progress, but not so serious as many hoped," he said.
"The fact that we intensify close relations with the countries of the region means that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict becomes a more serious issue for the European Union. We will continue to pay more attention to this process and look for the ways to support efforts within the OSCE Minsk Group, " he said.
He stressed that the arms race can only destabilize the situation in the region. He added that we have witnessed many incidents on the frontline over the last year.
He noted that there is unregulated ceasefire. People die on the contact line. The parties actually clash with each other. Semneby said that one can not exclude the possible outbreak of hostilities.
"I am not talking about the planned activities. But we can not exclude that any incident can lead to an escalation of the situation," he said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the United States - are currently holding the 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.