Borrell on Karabakh clashes: going back to negotiations is the only solution

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell believes that the only solution to the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno Karabakh conflict is to go back to the negotiation table.

"It is the largest confrontation since 1993, 1994. And those days we have been very engaged on this issue. On the day that fighting erupted, I released a statement as highly representative calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities, de-escalation, and a streak of servants of the ceasefire," he said at the session in the European Parliament on Wednesday.

The official recalled that during those days, he had several phone calls separately with Armenia and Azerbaijani FMs urging both sides to stop hostilities and return to the negotiation table. "My position is clear, fighting must stop. Both sides need to engage in meaningful negotiation," he said.

"There cannot be a military solution to the conflict. Nonetheless, external interference. The fighting should stop. The Minsk Group Co-chairs are going to have meetings this week with the FMs of two countries. And the only way of getting out of this situation is that the Minsk Group Co-chairs pushes for an immediate negotiations as soon as possible," Borrel noted.

"We will continue working with the key partners, trying to help stop hostilities because the only solution is to go back to the negotiation table," he stressed.

"You have to push both parts to stop fighting and negotiating without preconditioning," the head of the EU Foreign Service added.