Today.Az » Politics » MEPs demand Armenia to withdraw forces from occupied lands of Azerbaijan
22 June 2012 [19:50] - Today.Az
Members of the European Parliament from across Europe and across the political spectrum have called for European Union action to challenge the status-quo in Nagorno-Karabakh by demanding Armenian withdrawal from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
Speaking at a meeting of the European Parliament`s Security and Defence Subcommittee, a group of MEPs commented that, without action, the stability of the entire South Caucasus could be threatened. They also called on the EU to express its clear support for withdrawal of Armenia`s armed forces to help achieve a peaceful settlement.
Their calls were welcomed by the European Azerbaijan Society (TEAS). Roman Huna, head of TEAS office in Belgium said: “We hope that the EU will heed these calls and take prompt action. It is unacceptable that this conflict on Europe`s borders remains unresolved, due to Armenian disregard for international standards and the rule of law. We believe that the EU and the international community should be very clear in stressing the necessity for Armenian withdrawal from Azerbaijani territory.”
MEPs backing action included Milan Cabrnoch (European Conservatives and Reformists Group, Czech Republic), who suggested that return of the territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh should be the first step.
Ivo Vajgl (the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe) said the EU should make it clear to Armenia that it does not accept the status quo, nor legitimise the occupation. It should emphasize that Azerbaijani territories remained occupied and that international conventions were being flouted.
Vytautas Landsbergis (European People`s Party, Lithuania) said: “We need to clean our vocabulary. These are not disputed, but occupied territories” and supported the European Parliament`s April 2012 resolution demanding “withdrawal from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.” His party colleague, Anna Ibrisagic (Sweden) said: “There is an occupation of Azerbaijan`s territories and we need courage to tell the other side: This is wrong.” She said it was necessary to end the occupation, let the internally displaced persons (IDPs) return to their homes and then work on a settlement. She also urged the EU to react to the military parade that took place in Nagorno-Karabakh in May in front of Armenian President Sargsyan.
Maria Elena Koppi (Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Greece) said it was important to acknowledge that Armenia had no intention of returning the occupied territories.
The Parliamentary committee heard from a number of experts. Philippe Lefort, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and crisis in Georgia, stressed that it is important to “respect the principles of the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act”, and that the “status quo is unacceptable for the EU.” He underlined the importance of the recent EP Resolution (18 April 2012), which is now a cornerstone of EU policy regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Important elements were emphasised during the presentations by various experts. Tracey German, Senior Lecturer, Defence Studies Department, King`s College London, explained that the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan is not frozen and fundamental issues remain unresolved (i.e. the occupation of territories). She informed attendees that the Armenian parliament has recently voted to increase the military budget by 6 per cent, directly contradicting the economic situation in Armenia (the Gallup poll of 2010 shows that 40 per cent of the Armenian population would like to leave the country, due to harsh living conditions).
In his presentation, Adam Eberhardt, Deputy Director of Centre for Eastern Studies in Poland said that Nagorno-Karabakh is an historical part of Azerbaijan with great cultural significance. He expressed regret that Armenia has no intention to seek compromise with Azerbaijan to achieve the conflict resolution. Armenia is supporting the regime in Nagorno-Karabakh politically, economically and militarily, whilst the ruling elite of Armenia comes from Nagorno-Karabakh. Mr Eberhardt also mentioned the provocative military parade held in Nagorno-Karabakh.
/AzerTAc/
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