Azernews.Az

YEREVAN – The statement supporting Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity adopted at the NATO summit last Saturday has sparked utter concerns in Armenia.

Vladimir Karapetian, a senior member of the opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK), said the declaration, adopted in the North Atlantic Council meeting, was a serious threat to Yerevan.

The declaration urged all parties "to engage constructively and with reinforced political will" in peaceful conflict resolution, and to respect the current negotiation formats. It called for avoiding steps that undermine regional security and stability. NATO countries also said they remain committed in their support of the territorial integrity of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova.

Karapetian said it was alarming that NATO’s position on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno (Upper) Karabakh "has changed". "So far, NATO, when talking about the Karabakh issue, has referred to the Minsk Group every time," he said, implying the OSCE Minsk Group, which is brokering the peace process.

Karapetian termed the passage of the NATO declaration as a defeat of Armenian diplomacy.

"I am not surprised that [Armenian President] Sargsyan did not attend the summit. He merely tried to make sure that this document is not adopted with his participation."

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a cease-fire in 1994, but Armenia continues to occupy Nagorno Karabakh and seven other Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international law. Peace talks, brokered by the United States, Russia and France through the Minsk Group, have largely accomplished no result so far.