Van Rompuy: Minsk Group best format to NK conflict settlement

Unsettled and protracted conflicts in the territory of Europe endanger the security of Europe, President of European Union Herman Van Rompuy said in his speech to OSCE Summit, Aysor.am correspondent reports.

The head of the European Union underscored several examples of similar conflicts and defined their disposition over those issues.

In case of Transnistria, Van Rompuy stated their support to the suggestions by EU put on agenda.

Referring to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, EU President said that the best mechanism of the settlement is OSCE Minsk Group format.

Talking about South Ossetia and Abkhazia, EU President said they defend Georgia’s territorial integrity and hail statement of official Tbilisi over non-use of force.

The Nagorno-Karabakh (armed) conflict broke out back in 1991, when, subsequent to the demand for self-determination of the Nagorno-Karabakh people, Azerbaijani authorities attempted to resolve the issue through ethnic cleansings, carried out by Soviet security forces (KGB special units) under the pretext of the implementation of the passport regime and by launching of large-scale military operations, which left thousands dead and caused considerable material damage. A cease-fire agreement was established in 1994. Negotiations on the settlement of the conflict are being conducted under the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen (Russia, USA, France) and on the basis of their Madrid proposals, presented in November, 2007.

Azerbaijan has not yet implemented the 4 resolutions of the UN Security Council adopted in 1993, by continuing to provoke arms race in the region and openly violating on of the basic principles of the international law non-use of force or threat of force.