Azernews.Az

BAKU – A European lawmaker’s unauthorized visit to the Armenia-occupied Nagorno Karabakh region of Azerbaijan has drawn fire from Azerbaijani government and parliament members.

The European Parliament's rapporteur on Armenia Tomasz Poreba visited Nagorno Karabakh without Baku’s permission on Sunday. The Polish lawmaker held meetings with the leaders of the unrecognized republic run by ethnic Armenians to discuss settlement to the Karabakh conflict and the situation in the region.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a cease-fire in 1994. The separatist regime in the Nagorno Karabakh region, which is under Armenian occupation along with seven adjacent Azerbaijani districts, proclaimed so-called independence at the time of the Soviet collapse in 1991. This "independence," which is a blatant violation of international law, has not been recognized by any country.

Speaker Ogtay Asadov said in parliament Tuesday that Poreba’s traveling to Nagorno Karabakh from Armenia in violation of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity was unacceptable. He said the lawmaker "had demonstrated his low level by doing so", adding that the Milli Majlis was preparing an appeal condemning the visit to be sent to the European Parliament.

Samad Seyidov, who chairs the Azerbaijani parliament’s international relations committee, said Poreba’s visit does not comply with the spirit of relations between Azerbaijan and the European Parliament. He reminded that the EP recognized Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity in a resolution passed this year.

"Poreba’s visit to Nagorno Karabakh and his meetings with the separatists there contradicts not only Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity but also European policy," Seyidov said.

He said letters of protest will be sent to the EP and a demand put forward to prevent Poreba’s further activity in the region, which can no longer be objective.

Head of the European Union delegation to Azerbaijan Roland Kobia and Polish Ambassador in Baku Michal Labenda were summoned to Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday and handed a protest note.

According to the ministry, Baku informed the diplomats that it was angered by the EP rapporteur’s move, saying that foreign nationals disrespecting Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by visiting the country’s occupied territories are included in the list of persons considered "persona non grata" in Azerbaijan.

Baku called on EU institutions and the Polish government to take action against such moves that aim to increase tension in the region.