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MEPS URGE BAKU AND YEREVAN TO END KARABAKH CONFLICT
By Lenaic Vaudin d'Imecourt
Europolitics.info
http://www.europolitics.info/external-policies/meps-urge-baku-and-yerevan-to-end-karabakh-conflict-art332146-44.html
April 19 2012
The European Parliament's plenary session adopted two resolutions,
on 18 April, calling on Armenia and Azerbaijan to put an end to the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in order to stabilise the region. In both
resolutions on the negotiation of association agreements between the
EU and the two countries, MEPs condemn the region's militarisation
and demand that EU member states stop supplying weapons and munitions.
"We hope our recommendations within the framework of these negotiations
will bring stability to the region and assist to reach a peace
agreement on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," said Finnish Liberal
rapporteur on Azerbaijan Anneli Jaatteenmaki. In their recommendations
to the Commission and Council on an agreement with Armenia, tabled by
Tomasz Piotr Poreba (ECR, Poland), MEPs also urged the EU institutions
to "play a more prominent role in seeking a settlement of the conflict"
and to support "the implementation of confidence-building measures,
which will bring together the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities
and spread the idea of peace".
In addition, MEPs voiced their concerns over human rights breaches
in Azerbaijan in connection with the 2012 Eurovision song contest
and stressed the "utmost importance of democratic, transparent, free
and fair competitive elections" ahead of the 6 May parliamentary
elections in Armenia, which, according to them, should guarantee
"plurality, freedom of speech and equal access of all political forces
to mainstream broadcast media".
Negotiations for association agreements with Baku and Yerevan were
launched in July 2010. Since then, 24 out of 28 chapters have been
closed in negotiations with Armenia, and 13 out of 28 with Azerbaijan.
Visa facilitation dialogues with both countries were launched in March.
By Lenaic Vaudin d'Imecourt
Europolitics.info
http://www.europolitics.info/external-policies/meps-urge-baku-and-yerevan-to-end-karabakh-conflict-art332146-44.html
April 19 2012
The European Parliament's plenary session adopted two resolutions,
on 18 April, calling on Armenia and Azerbaijan to put an end to the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in order to stabilise the region. In both
resolutions on the negotiation of association agreements between the
EU and the two countries, MEPs condemn the region's militarisation
and demand that EU member states stop supplying weapons and munitions.
"We hope our recommendations within the framework of these negotiations
will bring stability to the region and assist to reach a peace
agreement on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," said Finnish Liberal
rapporteur on Azerbaijan Anneli Jaatteenmaki. In their recommendations
to the Commission and Council on an agreement with Armenia, tabled by
Tomasz Piotr Poreba (ECR, Poland), MEPs also urged the EU institutions
to "play a more prominent role in seeking a settlement of the conflict"
and to support "the implementation of confidence-building measures,
which will bring together the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities
and spread the idea of peace".
In addition, MEPs voiced their concerns over human rights breaches
in Azerbaijan in connection with the 2012 Eurovision song contest
and stressed the "utmost importance of democratic, transparent, free
and fair competitive elections" ahead of the 6 May parliamentary
elections in Armenia, which, according to them, should guarantee
"plurality, freedom of speech and equal access of all political forces
to mainstream broadcast media".
Negotiations for association agreements with Baku and Yerevan were
launched in July 2010. Since then, 24 out of 28 chapters have been
closed in negotiations with Armenia, and 13 out of 28 with Azerbaijan.
Visa facilitation dialogues with both countries were launched in March.