NATO not a mediator between Yerevan, Baku Alliance chief says

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said the Alliance is not a mediator between Yerevan and Baku.

“NATO is not a mediator between Yerevan and Baku and cannot make proposals within the negotiation process,” Stoltenberg said in an interview with Public Television of Armenia, Sputnik Armenia reports.

"I am convinced that peace can be achieved, it is realistic, as some basic principles have already been agreed upon. Among them is respect for the territorial integrity of both countries," Stoltenberg noted.

The Secretary General affirmed NATO’s support for principles that can lead to peace, adding he believes that existing differences can be resolved and overcome.

He cited Norway as an example, recalling that Norwegians, Swedes and Danes have fought for centuries, but today live in peace, even though some border issues still remain. The principle of respecting each other as independent sovereign states applies here.

The Alliance chief reminded that France, Germany, Great Britain were also at war at different stages of history, but today these countries live in peace.

Stoltenberg noted that his message to Yerevan and Baku is that both sides should see the possibility of achieving lasting peace.