The chiefs of Armenia and Azerbaijan stated on Saturday (July 17) that the European Union supports the international community’s efforts to ease the tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan after the war in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region last year.
During a visit to Yerevan, Michel stated that “the EU supports the Minsk Group”-composed of French, Russian and American diplomats-as a mediator in a long-term territorial dispute.
Last fall, the two neighboring Caucasus countries went to war for Nagorno-Karabakh, which claimed about 6,500 lives and ended with a ceasefire mediated by Russia, which Yerevan ceded for decades. Territory.
Since May, tensions have risen again-when Armenia accused the Azerbaijani army of crossing its southern border-both countries have reported occasional gun battles on their common border.
The President of the European Council called on the Minsk Group to “take its responsibilities and resolve different themes of post-conflict resolution.”
As Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev insisted that “the Karabakh conflict has been completely resolved” and rejected Yerevan’s call for negotiations on the political status of the region, the Minsk Group has been largely inactive since the ceasefire.
Karabakh is inhabited by Armenians and is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Armenian national separatists of Nagorno-Karabakh separated from Azerbaijan, and the ensuing conflict has claimed approximately 30,000 lives.
Yerevan is the first stop of Michel’s tour of the South Caucasus. He will meet Aliyev in Baku on Sunday and hold talks with leaders of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine in Batumi, the Black Sea city of Georgia on Monday.
