The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is drawing near the impermissible threshold of tension, Peter Semneby, the former EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and current Swedish Ambassador to Afghanistan, told RFE/RL.

“The present situation has deteriorated a lot as compared with several years ago; the risk is much higher. This is a conflict that should be taken seriously. Europe should make serious efforts to peacefully resolve the Karabakh conflict,” Semneby said.    

In his words, there is a great risk that each incident could bring the situation out of control. “We observe incidents that may contribute to the escalation of tension. Of course, this should cause a concern for the conflicting parties in the first place, but the international partners likewise must consider this situation because if something happens in Nagorno-Karabakh, its consequences will affect the EU countries as well,” Peter Semneby noted.