Yerevan /Mediamax/. German Ambassador to Armenia Rainer Morel said today, France-Germany reconciliation after the World Wars I and II may be a good example for settlement of conflicts in the South Caucasus.

The Ambassador said this addressing a speech during “From Loss of Peace to Establishment of European Union” conference dedicated to the World War I Centennial in the Yerevan State University, Mediamax reports. 

“Europe’s biggest lesson learnt from the World War I is that all the conflicts should be settled a peaceful way. Mutual concessions are the beginning for friendly relations among the states and France-Germany reconciliation practice was one vivid example of it. This European peacebuilding practice can also be applicable to South Caucasus”, said the Ambassador answering Mediamax’s question. 

According to Rainer Morel, the will of the conflicting sides is needed to reach peace and that will “should be dictated not only from the top (the country’s leadership- edit.) but the bottom”.

“We realize the historic situation that German and French peoples were in and it were the leaders of the countries who demonstrate the will to change the political situation. As for the situation in Armenia and Azerbaijan, we should confess it’s really tough. The OSCE Minsk Group is engaged in the conflict settlement and it tries to maintain the ceasefire. But an extra step is needed to be taken on the path of reconciliation of the two states and the dialogue is the start. The rhetoric voiced by the parties contain some phrases which just need not be mentioned. I think it would be right to organize such an event in Baku as well so as people could learn lessons there , too”, said Rainer Morel. 

According to the Ambassador, 1914 and 2014 differ in the sense that the international community has already created relevant tools for conflict settlement and OSCE is one of them. 

French Ambassador to Armenia Henri Renaud who also spoke at the conference said that the OSCE Minsk Group and the EU always used all the occasions to condemn the bellicose rhetoric over NK conflict as well as ceasefire violations.

“We have always stated and we do repeat- the issue has no military solution. The NK conflict should be settled in a solely peaceful way through negotiations”, said the French Ambassador.