Azerbaijani diaspora worldwide condemns EP parliamentary's Karabakh visit

Azerbaijan's diaspora organizations across the world have voiced strong condemnation over a visit by a parliamentarian of the European Parliament to the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Tomasz Poreba, an EP rapporteur on Armenia, had recently paid an unauthorized visit to the Armenia-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.

Condemnation statements were issued by the European Congress of Azerbaijanis, Benilux Azerbaijanis Congress, Turkish Federation of Azerbaijani Associations, All-Russian Congress of Azerbaijanis, USA-Azerbaijan Society, US Azerbaijani Council, Moldova Congress of Azerbaijanis, Lithuanian Azerbaijanis Society, Poland-Azerbaijan Unity Association, German Azerbaijanis Coordination Center, Sweden Azerbaijan Federation, Turkish-Azerbaijani Society Ojag Culture Center in Latvia, Ozan Azerbaijani Culture Center in Russia`s Chelyabinsk region, Azerbaijan Society in the United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan Culture Center in Huston, Congress of Azerbaijanis in Georgia, Culture Center of Azerbaijanis in Georgia, Union of Culture Centers of Azerbaijanis in Kazakhstan, and World Azerbaijanis Congress.

The statements were addressed to EP chairman Jerzy Buzek, his assistant, Marshal of the Polish Sejm Grzegorz Schetyna, Tomasz Poreba himself, Poland`s Foreign Ministry and the country`s embassy in Azerbaijan.

The statements strongly condemned Mr. Poreba`s visit to the Nagorno-Karabakh, saying: “visiting the occupied territories without the consent of official Baku is nothing but a disrespect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan.”

Heads of the diaspora organizations described the move as “the violation of international legal norms and principles and diplomatic etiquette”.

“No citizen of a foreign country should show disrespect to Azerbaijan`s territorial integrity and any visit to the Armenia-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh must be paid only from the territory of Azerbaijan.”

The Azeri diaspora leaders noted their considered such visits as “a sign of support to Armenia`s policy of aggression”.

They also considered it necessary to ban “those who have ever visited or will ever visit the Nagorno-Karabakh, showing a disrespect for Azerbaijan`s sovereignty, from entering the country”.


/AzerTAc/