Member of European Parliament: Territorial integrity of Azerbaijan must be restored within framework of international law for stability in South Caucasus

Azerbaijan, Baku, July 3 /Trend S.Ahmedova/ The territorial integrity of Azerbaijan must be restored as quickly as possible, to that end, the Armenian military must withdraw from Nagorno-Karabakh and the occupied regions, the Romanian Member of European Parliament, Member in The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and Substitute in The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy Ioan Enciu said answering questions from The European Azerbaijan Society (TEAS) on the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "The United Nations Security Council resolutions are clear on this issue: The occupation by the Armenian military constitutes a breach of international law. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe as well as the European Parliament have also taken a clear stance on the issue," Enciu said. Enciu noted that Nagorno-Karabakh is not internationally recognized as independent. "The EU has not recognized any of the "parliamentary elections' in this region. A peaceful solution to the conflict and a return of refugees and internally displaced persons will only be possible, if the occupation of the Azerbaijani territory comes to an end," the Member of European Parliament said. Enciu said that the relations between the EU and Azerbaijan are significantly shaped by European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and by the Eastern Partnership (EaP) initiative. "The EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy, Štefan Füle, declared on 3 May 2013 in Baku that this partnership must be further developed. This does not only concern the question of European energy security and expansion of the Southern corridor, but also aspects of economic, cultural and security policy. In order to ensure stability in the South Caucasus, Azerbaijan must regain its rights under international law," Enciu said. Besides a withdrawal of the Armenian military, the prerequisite for peace and stability is, first of all, the willingness of both parties to the conflict to negotiate, Enciu noted. "The United Nations and the Minsk-Group within the OSCE are engaged on a multilateral level. The EU must, of course, in the context of the Eastern Partnership attempt to work towards a political solution. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has been unsolved for twenty years. It therefore is imperative to pool forces to press ahead negotiations," the Romanian MP noted. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions. Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at agency@trend.az