Ratification of EU's new agreements with Karabakh conflict parties must be conditioned by progress in peaceful settlement of conflict
By Rashid Shirinov
Ratification of new agreements between the European Union and the parties to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be conditioned by significant progress in the peaceful settlement of the conflict, resolution adopted at the plenary session of the European Parliament reads.
“This includes maintaining the ceasefire and supporting the implementation of the OSCE 2009 Basic Principles and the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs,” the document states.
Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.
While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign state with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years.
Until now, Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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