2023-11-05 00:00:25
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is counting on a rapid continuation of the peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia through the mediation of EU Council President Charles Michel. “Across the region, people hope for peace. This requires the willingness to regulate a new way of coexistence for the benefit of all Azerbaijanis and Armenians,” said the Green politician on Saturday after a conversation with her Azerbaijani colleague Jeyhun Bayramov in the capital Baku. This is the only way to achieve sustainable peace. This is also in Azerbaijan’s interest.
“The sovereignty and territorial integrity of Armenia and Azerbaijan are the basis for any peace negotiations,” emphasized the Federal Foreign Minister. At the same time, it offered Azerbaijan German support in clearing mines. “Three decades of conflict have literally turned Karabakh and surrounding provinces into a dangerous minefield.”
Iran and Türkiye offer themselves as mediators
Bayramov appeared open to continuing peace talks with Armenia, but accused Yerevan of illegal territorial claims. According to the official translation, he said they were ready to continue the dialogue. Both countries must show their willingness to deal with the situation responsibly. Formats and locations of the negotiations are secondary. “It is important that the work continues continuously.” In addition to the EU-mediated negotiations, Iran and Turkey are offering themselves as mediators.
However, without naming Iran, Baerbock expressed her concern as to whether “some actors would act as honest brokers in the interests of both countries”. Against the background of talks about the return of the more than 100,000 people who fled from Nagorno-Karabakh, the Federal Foreign Minister said: “Trust and confidence are of course crucial for this.” One has to be realistic here. “It will take time to rebuild exactly this trust.”
Friedrich Schmidt and Matthias Wyssuwa, Yerevan Published/Updated: Recommendations: 7 Meri Melkonyan Published/Updated: Recommendations: 12 Marcel Röthig, Stephan Malerius, Sonja Schiffers and Katrin Bannach Published/Updated: Recommendations: 5
Nagorno Karabakh is located on Azerbaijani territory, but was predominantly inhabited by Armenians. The area broke away from Baku in the 1990s in a bloody civil war with the help of Yerevan. The Azerbaijani army forced the surrender of the local army in Nagorno-Karabakh on September 19. More than 100,000 ethnic Armenians have fled the region.
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