Illegal "elections" in Nagorno-Karabakh see EU thumbs down
By Mushvig Mehdiyev
The European Union announced its official refusal to recognize the so-called "parliamentary elections" in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The official EU statement released on May 1 reads the organization doesn't recognize the constitutional and legal framework which will act as a basis to hold "elections" in Nagorno-Karabakh.
"The results of this "elections" cannot affect the determination of the future status of Nagorno-Karabakh or impact on the negotiation process," read said the statement.
Relying on the Armenian authorities' support, the separatist rulers in Nagorno-Karabakh scheduled "parliamentary elections" in the occupied Azerbaijani lands on May 3.
The decision faced severe condemnation from numerous international organizations and countries since no any legal basis is seen to hold the "polls". Holding a political event on the other country's territory unequivocally contradicts the international law requirements.
The EU reiterated its firm support to the OSCE Minsk Group, and its co-chairs' brokering efforts to bring comprehensive peace negotiations in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict's settlement.
"The EU stands ready to further support the efforts attempting to fetch an early peaceful resolution to the conflict," the statement said.
Armenia's armed invasion into Azerbaijan's legal territory resulted in a severe conflict pushing the two neighboring countries into a bitter territorial dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which Armenia-backed separatists seized from Azerbaijan in a bloody war in the early 1990s.
Despite Baku's best efforts, peace in the occupied lands remains a mirage in the distance as Armenia refuses to comply with international law.
Baku proposed a Great Peace Agreement project to work jointly on the conflict's settlement. Yerevan refused of course to seize such peace opportunity, preferring instead to support the occupation.
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