German FM: "Karabakh conflict hurdle to European integration"

The unresolved status of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno Karabakh conflict complicates European Union integration for the entire South Caucasus region, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said after meeting his Azeri counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov in Berlin Wednesday.

According to AssA-Irada, he called on the parties to the conflict to accept the needed compromises to reach peace.

Other issues discussed at the meeting included bilateral ties, economic relations and Azerbaijan's integration into NATO.

In a news conference after the meeting, the ministers praised the level of ties between the two countries. Mammadyarov said the Azeri-German trade turnover has doubled over the past few years, saying Germany is the largest partner of Azerbaijan in Western Europe.

Steinmeier said energy issues were in focus during the discussions as well.

"Azerbaijan, as an energy exporting and transit country, plays a special role in ensuring European energy security. It is a reliable and important partner of Europe in this respect," the German official said.

/AzerNEWS/