'EP resolution is Azerbaijani diplomacy's victory'

The resolution adopted by the European Parliament, is another victory of Azerbaijani diplomacy, executive secretary of the Azerbaijani ruling party, MP Mubariz Gurbanli told the official website of the ruling "New Azerbaijan" Party today.

The negotiations are underway to elect Azerbaijan and Armenia as EU associate members, he said.

"The provisions of this resolution on the withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories, including the prohibition and restrictions on Armenian troops' entry to the Nagorno-Karabakh amid these negotiations are really serious ideological and political blow to Armenia," he said. "This is the defeat of the Armenian diplomacy."
Armenian media outlets are trying to draw a veil over this issue, but the fact remains, he said.

He added that the Azerbaijani diplomacy has once again publicly demonstrated superiority over Armenia by this document adopted by the European Parliament.

MP added that this event stresses that Azerbaijan's fair position was again supported.

"I think that this event is a logical result of the policy pursued by President Aliyev," he added. "In general, Azerbaijan continues demonstrating superiority over Armenia in all spheres. Our superiority in the diplomatic sphere is clearly observed in these decisions."

The EU's active joining the process of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement can positively affect the resolution of the conflict, he added.
"The organization must take the initiative," he said. "It is necessary for the UN Security Council to take the appropriate actions to bring the EU to the process."

He recalled that Azerbaijan will preside over the UN Security Council in May.

"The membership in this organization as a whole is Azerbaijan's major achievement," he said. "As Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said, it will be once again demonstrated during the presidency that Azerbaijan protects justice and international law."

This will be a great event in the Azerbaijani history, he added. Azerbaijan's activity in the UN Security Council as a whole will have a positive impact on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.

The European Parliament adopted a resolution on EU negotiations on an association agreement with Azerbaijan and Armenia which reflects the respect for Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. The resolution was adopted at a session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

It is noted that an associative agreement with Azerbaijan and Armenia will not be signed within the EU Eastern Partnership until the Azerbaijani occupied territories are liberated and pass to Azerbaijan's control and refugees return to their native land.

The document also states that the occupation of the territory of one state by another is a violation of international principles and is contrary to the fundamental principles of the EU Neighbourhood Policy and harms Eastern Partnership programme. It also indicated the need to investigate the facts on illegal settlements in Azerbaijan's occupied territories.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.

The Eastern Partnership Program is a Polish-Swedish initiative under the EU Neighbourhood Policy aimed at improving EU relations with six former Soviet countries Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Belarus, Ukraine and Armenia. The programme envisages the allocation of 600 million euro to these countries until 2013 to strengthen state institutions, control borders and help small companies.


/Trend/