EU: Attempts to Settle Karabakh Problem by Force to Have Grave Consequences

PanARMENIAN.Net - The European Union will directly participate in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby stated. "Resolution of conflicts in the South Caucasus will be one of the EU's priorities. This is a signal for a deeper engagement of the organization in the settlement of problematic situations," he said in an interview with RFE/RL. In his words, he has "a slightly stronger mandate on involvement in frozen conflicts." The EU representative acknowledged that both Armenia and Azerbaijan are facing serious difficulties in terms of their domestic opinion. "What may be necessary is to try to work with public opinion in the two countries to convey the message that neither side has anything to gain from playing on time," he said. "Armenia will continue to be isolated if a solution is not found. And in the case with Azerbaijan where there are forces that argue that the country will gain economic strength and thereby also military it is necessary to send a clear message that an attempt on the Azeri side to resolve the conflict by military means will have very serious consequences. It may not be successful in the first place, and it will also seriously damage Azerbaijan in terms of its investment climate and reliability as a partner."