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BAKU CONDEMNS MEPS' ILLEGAL VISIT TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
May 1 2013
1 May 2013, 18:21 (GMT+05:00)
By Sara Rajabova
Certain EU institutions show different positions on the
Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijani Ambassador
to Belgium and Luxembourg Fuad Isgandarov, who heads Azerbaijan's
mission to the European Union, told Trend news agency.
"The European Commission, which is the executive body of the EU,
as well as its External Action Service, which is responsible for
issues of the commission's foreign policy, do as a rule, say they
support the mediating efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group to resolve the
conflict. As for the legislative structure, which is the European
Parliament, the situation is different," Isgandarov said.
He said numerous resolutions adopted by the European Parliament so
far note the occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenian armed
forces and call for an immediate withdrawal of the invading forces from
all the occupied territories, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
European Parliament President Martin Schulz in his interview to a
local news agency in January clearly voiced support for Azerbaijan's
territorial integrity.
"Our position is respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan within internationally recognized borders," Schulz said.
Amb. Isgandarov said while commenting on those remarks, "Thus,
the European Parliament has repeatedly demanded withdrawal of the
occupying forces from the occupied territories in accordance with
the resolutions of the UN Security Council. I believe that this open
position of the European Parliament may be an impetus so that the
executive structures of the EU would take a more active position on
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict."
Recently, representatives of the European Parliament Ewald Stadler
(Austria), Kyriacos Triantafyllides, Eleni Theocharous (Cyprus),
two members of the French parliament as well as a Belgian professor
paid an illegal visit to the Azerbaijani territories that are
under the occupation of Armenia. They met with the leaders of the
separatist regime in Khankendi, the center of the self-proclaimed
Nagorno-Karabakh republic run by ethnic Armenians in the occupied
Azerbaijani territories.
However, the European Parliament told the local media that the visit
took place on those parliamentarians' personal initiative and the
delegation that visited Nagorno-Karabakh is not an official delegation
of the European Parliament.
Commenting on the issue, Azerbaijani Parliament Speaker Ogtay Asadov
said at a parliamentary session on Tuesday that he would appeal to
European Parliament President Schulz. According to Asadov, his appeal
would cite "the MEPs bribed by the Armenian diaspora".
According to the Azerbaijani speaker, a number of MEPs, including
representatives of international organizations, issue statements
regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict which run counter to
international norms, as well as support the Armenian aggression.
The speaker noted that a tough position should be taken against
international organizations applying double standards toward
Azerbaijan.
"I regret that some international organizations are still pursuing
a dual policy against Azerbaijan and in many cases we took a soft
stance regarding the activity of these organizations. Now we have
to take a hard line with regard to such entities and all layers of
society should support us. Society must unite to protect the national
interests of Azerbaijan. Then we will react harshly to such attitudes
toward us," Asadov said.
Head of the Center for Political Innovations and Technologies,
political analyst Mubariz Ahmadoglu said the visit of the European
MPs, which took place at a challenging time, has struck a crushing
blow to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"The leading countries of the EU and Europe should individually
express their concrete and precise position on the status of
Nagorno-Karabakh. If the EU does not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh
as part of Azerbaijan, then it must think about leaving the South
Caucasus region," the analyst said.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made
territorial claims against the neighboring country. Since a lengthy
war between the two South Caucasus countries that displaced over
a million Azerbaijanis and ended with the signing of a precarious
cease-fire in 1994, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent
of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including the
Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Peace talks brokered by OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs representing the
United States, Russia and France have been largely fruitless so far.
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
May 1 2013
1 May 2013, 18:21 (GMT+05:00)
By Sara Rajabova
Certain EU institutions show different positions on the
Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijani Ambassador
to Belgium and Luxembourg Fuad Isgandarov, who heads Azerbaijan's
mission to the European Union, told Trend news agency.
"The European Commission, which is the executive body of the EU,
as well as its External Action Service, which is responsible for
issues of the commission's foreign policy, do as a rule, say they
support the mediating efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group to resolve the
conflict. As for the legislative structure, which is the European
Parliament, the situation is different," Isgandarov said.
He said numerous resolutions adopted by the European Parliament so
far note the occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenian armed
forces and call for an immediate withdrawal of the invading forces from
all the occupied territories, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
European Parliament President Martin Schulz in his interview to a
local news agency in January clearly voiced support for Azerbaijan's
territorial integrity.
"Our position is respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan within internationally recognized borders," Schulz said.
Amb. Isgandarov said while commenting on those remarks, "Thus,
the European Parliament has repeatedly demanded withdrawal of the
occupying forces from the occupied territories in accordance with
the resolutions of the UN Security Council. I believe that this open
position of the European Parliament may be an impetus so that the
executive structures of the EU would take a more active position on
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict."
Recently, representatives of the European Parliament Ewald Stadler
(Austria), Kyriacos Triantafyllides, Eleni Theocharous (Cyprus),
two members of the French parliament as well as a Belgian professor
paid an illegal visit to the Azerbaijani territories that are
under the occupation of Armenia. They met with the leaders of the
separatist regime in Khankendi, the center of the self-proclaimed
Nagorno-Karabakh republic run by ethnic Armenians in the occupied
Azerbaijani territories.
However, the European Parliament told the local media that the visit
took place on those parliamentarians' personal initiative and the
delegation that visited Nagorno-Karabakh is not an official delegation
of the European Parliament.
Commenting on the issue, Azerbaijani Parliament Speaker Ogtay Asadov
said at a parliamentary session on Tuesday that he would appeal to
European Parliament President Schulz. According to Asadov, his appeal
would cite "the MEPs bribed by the Armenian diaspora".
According to the Azerbaijani speaker, a number of MEPs, including
representatives of international organizations, issue statements
regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict which run counter to
international norms, as well as support the Armenian aggression.
The speaker noted that a tough position should be taken against
international organizations applying double standards toward
Azerbaijan.
"I regret that some international organizations are still pursuing
a dual policy against Azerbaijan and in many cases we took a soft
stance regarding the activity of these organizations. Now we have
to take a hard line with regard to such entities and all layers of
society should support us. Society must unite to protect the national
interests of Azerbaijan. Then we will react harshly to such attitudes
toward us," Asadov said.
Head of the Center for Political Innovations and Technologies,
political analyst Mubariz Ahmadoglu said the visit of the European
MPs, which took place at a challenging time, has struck a crushing
blow to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"The leading countries of the EU and Europe should individually
express their concrete and precise position on the status of
Nagorno-Karabakh. If the EU does not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh
as part of Azerbaijan, then it must think about leaving the South
Caucasus region," the analyst said.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made
territorial claims against the neighboring country. Since a lengthy
war between the two South Caucasus countries that displaced over
a million Azerbaijanis and ended with the signing of a precarious
cease-fire in 1994, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent
of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including the
Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Peace talks brokered by OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs representing the
United States, Russia and France have been largely fruitless so far.