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During his visit to Azerbaijan, the European Union Special Representative for South Caucasus Peter Semneby will discuss the pressing problems of EU-Azerbaijan, in particular Azerbaijan's rapprochement with the European Union, the possibility of starting negotiations on the association agreement, the energy security, energy supply to Europe, regional security, as well as Nagorno-Karabakh conflict solution and normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations, Semneby told reporters today upon his arrival in Baku.
"Partly the purpose of my visit is to make contacts and prepare visits of a number of new senior officials of the European Union," he said. During his three-day visit, Semneby will hold meetings both with officials of the country and with the representatives of non-governmental organizations and political circles in Azerbaijan.
"The current visit will be an important factor in the development of relations between Azerbaijan and EU," he said.
Speaking about the progress in the peaceful settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Semneby said that it is possible to hope for it, "but time is running out." "The situation in the region is changing, the status quo can not last forever. I hope very much that the momentum which was achieved last year will bring to concrete results. In any case, we will contribute in this regard," said EU Special Representative.
On Tuesday the EU Council of Foreign Ministers extended the mandates of EU special representatives for some post-Soviet countries for the period from March 1 to August 31, 2010. The authorization of the EU Special Representative for South Caucasus Peter Semneby was extended as well.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a cease-fire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the United States - are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the occupied territories.
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