German Consul: EU should participate in negotiations on Nagorno-Karabakh

The European Union (EU) should participate in the negotiations on the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Honorary Consul of Azerbaijan in Stuttgart (Germany) Otto Hauser told Trend.

The European Union (EU) should participate in the negotiations on the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Honorary Consul of Azerbaijan in Stuttgart (Germany) Otto Hauser told Trend.

He declared that Azerbaijan is an important partner for Europe, and this partnership should be mutually beneficial. "In the end, Azerbaijan supplies oil to Europe, and in the future - gas,” he stressed.

Ensuring the right of Azerbaijanis to return to Nagorno-Karabakh and to other occupied territories should be the first step in resolving the conflict, he added.

He underlined that NagornoKarabakh is the territory of Azerbaijan, and there is no doubt about it. "Azerbaijani internally displaced persons should be able to return to their homes," honorary consul added.

Hauser also noted the importance of the implementation of four resolutions of the UN Security Council on the withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from NagornoKarabakh and adjacent regions.

“This is the will of the international community,” he stressed.

Hauser considered that steps need to be taken to build confidence since they contribute to enhancing the negotiation process.

Earlier, German Chancellor Angela Merkel during the GermanUkrainian Economic Forum in Berlin stated that Germany cannot close its eyes to the fact that because of the frozen conflicts, the countries of the former Soviet Union cannot develop in the way they want it.

She noted that countries such as Georgia, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Ukraine cannot develop because of frozen conflicts in South Ossetia, Transnistria, NagornoKarabakh and in the east of Ukraine. "Germany cannot close eyes to the fact that countries around Russia, including Moldova, cannot develop the way they want it," said Angela Merkel.

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 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

Despite Baku's best efforts, peace in the occupied lands remains a mirage in the distance as Armenia refuses to comply with international law.