Azerbaijan hopes for a unified and coordinated approach to conflicts in Eastern Partnership countries in accordance with the new EU strategy, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammad-Guliyev told the press conference dedicated to the Eastern Partnership Informal Ministerial Meeting.

Axar.az reports citing APA.

According to the strategy, the only way to resolve conflicts is through compliance with the principles of territorial integrity and border inviolability, said the deputy minister.

He noted that the Azerbaijani side hopes that unlike at the previous summit, there will not be any selective approach at the upcoming Brussels summit.

“Azerbaijan’s main problem is the conflict with Armenia, which occupied the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. In the wake of the conflict, over a million people became refugees and internally displaced persons. We hope for a unified and coordinated approach to conflicts in Eastern Partnership countries in accordance with the new EU strategy,” Mammad-Guliyev added.

He noted that no progress on the settlement of the conflict has been achieved over the past 25 years and the status quo is unacceptable, which is also confirmed by the OSCE Minks Group co-chairs.

“We are losing not only servicemen, but civilians too. It should be recalled that a two-year-old girl and her grandmother were killed as a result of shelling of an Azerbaijani district by Armenian armed forces five days ago,” said the deputy minister, calling for the beginning of constructive and serious negotiations on the basis of the abovementioned principles.

Mammad-Guliyev expressed hope that progress will be achieved at the summit in connection with the signing of a new strategic partnership agreement between the EU and Azerbaijan.

According to him, the Southern Gas Corridor project jointly implemented by Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia will play an alternative role in ensuring Europe’s energy security and other Eastern Partnership countries will benefit from the transport projects implemented by these three countries.

He added that by the upcoming Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels, Azerbaijan will conclude the aviation deal with the EU.