“Armenia and Azerbaijan should come to an agreement concerning the settlement of Karabakh conflict through compromises. There can be no military solution of the conflict, the conflicting parties should compromise and settle the conflict peacefully,” said EU commissioner on foreign policies and European neighborhood policy Benita Ferrero Waldner. During an interview after a meeting with Azeri FM Elmar Mamediarov she said that they had much positive expectations from the meeting of the Armenian and Azeri presidents to take place at the end of January. “Resolution of Karabakh conflict will solve many problems of peace, stability and security in the region,” said Waldner. Concerning Azerbaijan the EU commissioner said, “Azerbaijan is a very important country for Europe, and we want Caucasus to become closer to Europe. Eastern cooperation will support to strengthen the economic, energetic and political relations, as well as will help to make the visa regime easier.” The latter says that in modern Azerbaijan the economic development should be on the same track with human rights protection since the country is a EU member too. “Azerbaijan is an economically developed country and independence of speech should be respected here,” said Waldner.
