The problem of Nagorno-Karabakh can be resolved only through dialogue, the chairman of the European Council Donald Tusk said.

“This problem (Nagorno-Karabakh) must be solved through dialogue, we have no other methods,” he said during an interview to a narrow circle of reporters of the Eastern Partnership member countries, RIA Novosti news agency reported May 20. “Some politicians expect that the EU will help in the military way. But we must be realistic – it’s impossible. We must look for solutions through dialogue.”

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council’s four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.