Peter Semneby: ‘It is not surprising that Armenia worries about the massive military expenses of Azerbaijan’

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 18, ARMENPRESS: It is not surprising that Armenia worries about the massive military expenses of Azerbaijan, according to Peter Semneby, EU special representative for South Caucasus. He said in an interview with the Russian ‘Kommersant’ newspaper that the issue must be observed from the viewpoint of assessment of military potential in the Caucasus. ‘The undertaking of measures and anti-steps, actually, can be dangerous and dramatic.

The military settlement of the NK issue or any other conflict is prohibited,’ Peter Semneby said. As to the prolonging of the agreement on presence of Russian military bases in Armenia, Peter Semneby said he does not want to make any assessment on the agreement, as the issue refers to Armenia and Russia. In answer to ‘the agreement on presence of Russian military bases in Armenia is prolonged with 49 years: Does it mean that the Nagorno Karabakh issue will remain unsettled for 49 years?’ question, Mr. Semneby said it would be dramatic if the conflict was not solved for 40 years.

He noted that the conflict has already lasted for a long period and it is a danger for the region’s states and neighbor states. ‘It is necessary to continue the efforts for the settlement of the conflict. The ceasefire regime in the contact line should be preserved more strongly. Incidents and mutual shootings have been registered in the contact line in the recent months. The ceasefire is not the final settlement of the conflict, but it promotes the normal process of negotiations,’ Peter Semneby stated.