The European Commission reaffirms its commitment to a long-term peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The Commission calls on all the parties to devote all their efforts to the peace process, says the Commission’s response to the European MP Ioannis Kasoulides’ inquiry concerning Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliev’s militant statements.

The EU has always urged the sides to keep from issuing military threats. The EU will go on keeping track of the developments in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone and underline the need for a peaceful settlement of the problem, says the statement.

The European parliament member Ioannis Kasoulides made an enquiry concerning the Azerbaijani President’s statement that official Baku is ready for a military settlement of the problem in case the negotiations are protracted. In his speech, President Aliev stressed the international law will support Azerbaijan, He referred to Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, which grants the right to self-defense to any state. The European MP was indignant at the Azeri leader’s regular militant statements and his misinterpreting international documents. Ioannis Kasoulides asked the European Commission to inform him of the measures to be taken against the Azerbaijani President to warn him that his ideas of a military settlement are out of the question and he cannot hope for the EU’s tolerance.