Peter Semneby: "I want to use my mandate to work on unresolved conflicts in South Caucasus"

According to APA, he said that the idea of an international peacekeeping force is known to be under discussion in the current Karabakh talks, and should there be a breakthrough, an international body will be asked to lead it. He said this is where the EU could step in.

"We will be expected to make a major contribution when a solution is found, and we are looking into the possibilities we have, both in terms of post-conflict rehabilitation and also - if the parties should so desire - in terms of contributing peacekeepers. And possibly even leading a peacekeeping operation," said Semneby.

"I should mention that this is very hypothetical at this stage. This is only one of several options, but it’s one that is being considered."

Swedish diplomat also said there is a great difference between his mandate and that of his predecessor Heikki Talvitie.

"According to my mandate, the European Union should assist the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict but in Heikki Talvitie's mandate it is said the EU should contribute to the resolution of the conflict," he said.

Semneby said this linguistic change was small but important, calling it "a political signal that the conflicts are very high on the agenda."