EU welcomes progress achieved in Karabakh peace process by OSCE MG and calls on interested parties to sit down at the negotiation table and seek for the solution “that will bring an end to this conflict”. European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner said Nov. 26 in the interview with Azerbaijani Trend News agency before her abdication.

“EU has always offered to contribute to the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through confidence building measures and hopes that these can be accepted by both sides. It is too soon to say whether the EU might play a more prominent role in the future in resolving regional conflicts,” stated Ferrero-Waldner.

According to her, only one solution agreed upon by all sides is acceptable in Karabakh issue, “It is clear that there can only be a negotiated solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and it is the responsibility of the two sides to make serious efforts to resolving the outstanding issues.”

Asked about linkage between Karabakh peace process and Armenia-Turkey reconciliation, European Commissioner expressed hope that rapprochement “will have a beneficial effect on political developments in the whole region.”

Commenting on Eastern Partnership program and relaxation of visa regime between the member states, Ferrero-Waldner underlined, “I am aware that the possibility of making travel to the European Union easier for citizens in our partner countries is a key issue for the governments of the partner countries. Visa facilitation is related to a number of other issues such as migration, readmission issues and security and reliability of travel documents.”