ArmInfo. The European Union is working to sign a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, negotiations on the agreement will resume in the very near future in Brussels. European Council President Charles Michel stated in an interview with the RFE/RL's Azerbaijani service.
Answering the question about whether the peace agreement will be signed directly between the parties or with the support of international mediators, Michel noted that the main thing is the result. "For me, the main thing is the result. We worked very closely with Azerbaijan and Armenia to restore mutual trust. As you know, there were great difficulties between the parties both historically and in relations with each other. But we have made some progress, and I am very I am optimistic on this issue. We are committed to working towards the signing of a peace agreement between the parties," the EU head said, welcoming the joint statement of Armenia and Azerbaijan on the exchange of prisoners. Speaking about the guarantor of the implementation of the provisions of the treaty, Michel said that the international community, including the European Union, is following what is happening in the region, because the more the South Caucasus advances in terms of security and economic development, the better for the European Union and the world.
"For example, we believe that the rights of ethnic Armenians to return to the Karabakh region or at least to visit it should be guaranteed. This should be ensured in accordance with international standards in terms of protecting the security of national minorities. This should be guaranteed within the framework of protecting national minorities with the inclusion of the problem in the Constitution of Azerbaijan. We are negotiating with both Nikol Pashinyan and Ilham Aliyev to eliminate all difficulties," the EU head emphasized.
Regarding the issue of including a separate article on the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh in the peace agreement, Michel said that he did not want to go into details so as not to complicate the issue. "Now it is necessary to sign a peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia to regulate relations. This peace agreement should be based on border demarcation, which can be a good basis for improving transport links in the region and will have a positive impact on the economic development of the entire region. As for the Armenians of Karabakh, the European Union keeps this issue in the spotlight; we are making efforts in this matter. We are trying to convince the Azerbaijani side to openly demonstrate their goodwill. I sincerely believe that as a result of these discussions we will be able to achieve progress on an issue that is a priority for the European Union," the head of the EU emphasized.
He also touched on warnings from Western officials to Azerbaijan to refrain from using force against Armenia. "Currently, discussions are underway regarding various models of transport links that will connect Azerbaijan with Nakhichevan. President Aliyev has clearly stated many times that there are no territorial claims against Armenia, but discussions are underway on specific models. There must be such a model so that the territorial integrity of Armenia is not violated," Michel noted.
When asked how he would interpret the fact that negotiations reached a dead end in the last month and the Azerbaijani side refused meetings mediated by the European Union and the United States, the head of the EU recalled that on December 11, a meeting between the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy took place. "This shows that we are in constant contact with both sides. There will be a meeting with the Foreign Minister of Armenia soon. We are very active behind the scenes, making every effort to make progress with both Azerbaijan and Armenia. Joint Statement of Azerbaijan and Armenia was also done because we partially participated in this work, helped them in this matter, expressed certain proposals and ideas to bring their positions closer together on the issues included in the statement. We continue to work on further steps towards signing a peace agreement," Michel said, adding that the The EU is working to organize meetings that can be held in Brussels. According to him, the result of the meeting is more important than the location where it is held.