YEREVAN, JUNE 30, NOYAN TAPAN. The UK will continue to support Armenia in its constructive cooperation with the European Union and the NATO and to assist the Armenian-Turkish normalization process and the Karabakh conflict settlement, the British Ambassador to Armenia Charles Lonsdale stated at the June 28 meeting with reporters at the National Press Club. He said that "none of these processes is easy, but obviously there is no alternative to dialog". The ambassador noted that the process of normalizing Armenian-Turkish relations proceeds from the interests of both states and the whole region. "We welcome the progress achieved as a result of the football diplomacy initiated by President Sargsyan, but we are disappointed that it has not been carried to completion yet," he said. In connection with the June 18 incident on the Karabakh-Azerbaijani line of contact, C. Lonsdale said: "The use of force and such incidents are clearly inadmissible, and the two sides should refrain from the use of force and the threats to use force". He underlined that the current situation may not last long and that the negotiations should continue. According to him, the sides should be prepared fro mutual compromise and difficult steps necessary for finding long-term solutions based on the internationally accepted principles, including the principles of self-determination, territorial integrity and non-use of force. The ambassador considered it expedient not to change the OSCE Minsk Group format from the viewpoint of ensuring the continuity of the process. As regards the European Parliament's recent resolution on the South Caucasus, he said that not only did the resolution indicate the return of territories to Azerbaijan, but it also criticized the use of force.

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