TODAY.AZ / Politics

MP urges EU to stand clear over Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution

21 May 2015 [10:55] - TODAY.AZ

/By AzerNews/

By Sara Rajabova

Azerbaijani official has urged the European Union to clearly demonstrate its position toward the resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan.

Azay Guliyev, Azerbaijani MP and member of the State Commission on European Integration of Azerbaijan, said unlike other Eastern Partnership participating countries, Azerbaijan alone has encountered discrimination and injustice as the EU has left the country’s national interests out of consideration.

Guliyev made the remarks on Azerbaijan's expectations from the fourth summit of the Eastern Partnership to be held in Riga on May 21-22.

“Furthermore, the long-lasting connivance by the Union, in view of the occupation of one fifth of Azerbaijan territories by Armenia, plus its failure in taking adequately stern actions against the aggressor is incomprehensible and inexplicable,” Guliyev said.

Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, after laying territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor. This led to a brutal war in the early 1990s that resulted in the killing of over 20,000 Azerbaijanis. 4,866 people went missing and over 100,000 were wounded, while 50,000 were made disabled.

Long-standing efforts by U.S, Russian and French mediators have been largely fruitless so far.

Guliyev said the EU should officially declare the importance of signing with Azerbaijan a new document - a strategic cooperation agreement, which will illustrate Azerbaijan’s national interests and be adequate to the country’s geopolitical and strategic priorities.

“The European Union should clearly and unambiguously declare that it upholds the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict only within the scope of international legal norms, in particular, the principles of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and internationally recognized borders’ inviolability,” he said.

Guliyev noted that the EU should force Armenia to implement the four UN Security Council resolutions urging the immediate pullout of all Armenian armed forces from occupied Azerbaijani territories.

“The EU should force Armenia to fulfill the requirements of UN Security Council resolutions 822, 853, 874 and 884 on the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from Azerbaijan’s occupied territories, otherwise similar sanctions as those laid against Russia should be imposed against Armenia as well,” Guliyev said.

Guliyev called on the EU to state the impermissibility of double standards, partial and unfair decisions and resolutions of the European Parliament and other European institutions against Azerbaijan, while demanding that constructive cooperation and evidence-based dialogue be promoted with Azerbaijan.

He said the Eastern Partnership summit can also be characterized as an attempt to rescue the regional structure, which is composed of Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Georgia and Armenia.

“If we take the actual situation into account we can observe a grave crisis which the EU’s project is subject to, and its future perspective is almost under question as well. For instance, Armenia and Belarus have virtually opted out of this project by joining Russia’s Customs Union and Eurasian Economic Union which contradicts the principles and objectives of the EPP," he said.

“Azerbaijan, as the expression of its objection to the non-incorporation of vital provisions such as the support to the territorial integrity and inviolability of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized borders into the association agreement put forward by the EU, has declined to sign the document."

Guliyev added that Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova signed the association agreement since their proposals were accordingly taken into account by the EU.

URL: http://www.today.az/news/politics/140905.html

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