YEREVAN. - Status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh is unacceptable but there is no military solution to the conflict, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) of the European Parliament, David McAllister, told journalists on Thursday.

Responding to the question of Armenian News – NEWS.am reporter as to whether he agrees with the standpoint of the OSCE Minsk Group regarding the recent violation of the ceasefire regime by Azerbaijan, he noted that all the European organizations have the same opinion.

According to him, it is necessary to find a quick political solution to the conflict, which will be in line with the norms of international law. The EU is not an active player in the settlement process but it supports each diplomatic effort towards the achievement of the solution, the Chair said. For this reason the EU continues to fully support the mediation efforts and proposals of the OSCE Minsk Group, one of whose members, France, is an EU member state, Mr McAllister stressed.

In his words, the parties to the conflict need to observe the ceasefire and solve the conflict by peaceful means. The Chair expressed concern about the ongoing arms race, military rhetoric and recurrent incidents on the contact line, which claim human lives. He thus urged the parties to resume the talks without preconditions and based on the proposals of the OSCE Minsk Group.

Earlier, the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassadors Igor Popov of Russia, Stephane Visconti of France, and Richard Hoagland of the United States of America, released the following statement: “According to information collected from multiple reliable sources, on 15 May, Azerbaijani armed forces fired a missile across the Line of Contact, striking military equipment. On the evening of 16 May and continuing into 17 May, Armenian armed forces retaliated with mortar fire of various calibres. These actions by both sides represent significant violations of the ceasefire and are cause for alarm.”