There is a Political Will to Overcome the History of the Conflict: Toivo Klaar

The European Union's Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia, Toivo Klaar, stated in an interview with the Azerbaijani APA agency that the process of normalizing Armenian-Azerbaijani relations has begun after the end of the 30-year conflict. According to him, it would be surprising if everything was normal between Armenia and Azerbaijan just two years after the last large-scale war.

"Well, I would say, yes, this is a normalization process. But this is a normalization process at the end of a conflict that has lasted for thirty years. And I think it would be surprising if everything were normal between Armenia and Azerbaijan only two years after the last large-scale war. This takes time. The important thing is that there is a political will from the leadership in Yerevan and Baku to overcome this history of conflict, and we believe that there is from President Aliyev and Prime Minister Pashinyan. But again, time is needed; it is not easy," Klaar said.

He noted that the EU's goal is to help Armenia and Azerbaijan overcome the consequences of the conflict, emphasizing the importance of regular meetings between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to work on significant issues.

"The EU has been working for many years with various groups and organizations of civil society in both Azerbaijan and Armenia. But ultimately, this depends not only on the EU but also on the actions of the countries themselves and their leaders. Because we are talking about education, the formation of ideas in civil society and society at large, including school curricula and how and what is written in the media. This is frankly an area where the EU can do little; on the contrary, I repeat, there is still much to be done by the leaders of the countries... It is important for the governments of the two countries to show the end of hostility and conflict and to declare their desire to start a new era of partnership and friendship. It will not be easy. If you look at Europe and the relations between France and Germany at the end of World War II, it would seem impossible to imagine the kind of relations that now exist between the French and Germans. For example, student exchanges and regular meetings between the governments of France and Germany. But this required a great deal of work, primarily from the leadership of Paris and Berlin. So it should be the same here," Klaar emphasized.

Regarding the EU mission in Armenia, Klaar stated that the EU is not playing any geopolitical game. "For the EU, it means helping our neighbors—Armenia and Azerbaijan—to overcome the legacy of conflicts. This is our only interest. The South Caucasus is located next to the EU, and peace, stability, and prosperity in this region are in our interest. Because the better our neighbors are, the better we are; it is that simple. I would be pleased if Moscow understood that if we truly have a common goal, we could complement each other's efforts and not see it as a competition that is not included in the EU’s perspectives," the official concluded.