Armenia not hesitates to distort EP resolution

By Sara Rajabova - AzerNews 

Losing a sense of reality, Armenia does not hesitate to add false statements to the European Parliament resolution that were not originally in it.

Hikmet Hajiyev, the spokesman for Azerbaijani foreign ministry made the remark commenting on the adoption of a resolution on the "Review of the European Neighborhood Policy" at the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

The report on the review of the European Neighborhood Policy was drafted by Speaker Eduard Kukan. The resolution emphasized the basic principle on supporting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of countries in relations with the ENP states, and in this regard, the occupation of the territory of a country by another is unacceptable.

The document also noted that majority part of the Neighborhood suffers from protracted military conflicts existing in these territories that hamper the economic, political, and social development of this region.

Hajiyev said the resolution highlights the importance of European Union’s active role in resolving protracted conflicts, which are the main obstacle to the development of the European Neighborhood Policy, both toward its East and South.

He also stated that the resolution reiterated support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of the partner countries and noted that the ENP should contribute to those principles and to support them in practice.

Hajiyev emphasized that in this resolution, the European Parliament refers to a previous resolution signed on October 23, 2013.

EP confirmed its position that Armenian troops have occupied Azerbaijani territories and it urged the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on the basis of UN Security Council resolutions and the L'Aquila statement by the leaders of the mediating countries in 2009. It recalled its position that the occupation of territory of an Eastern Partnership member by another member state violates the fundamental principles and objectives of the EU program.

Hajiyev said, unfortunately, Armenia is ignoring calls by the international community to settle the conflict and does not hesitate to distort this resolution.

Noting that Armenia doesn’t refrain to falsely add statements to the European Parliament resolution, which were not in it, Hajiyev said it is actually is an indication of weakness and the growing international isolation of Armenia.

Armenia captured Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions from Azerbaijan in a war that followed the Soviet breakup in 1991. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and nearly 1 million were displaced as a result of the war.

Large-scale hostilities ended with a Russia-brokered ceasefire in 1994 but Armenia continued the occupation in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions calling for immediate and unconditional withdrawal.

Peace talks mediated by Russia, France and the U.S. have produced no results so far.