European Parliament Resolution Contradicts EU Stance: Edward Nalbandyan

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan is dissatisfied with the 2216 non-binding resolution adopted at the European Parliament on Thursday.

According to Nalbandyan it runs counter to the EU stance.

“The provisions of that report about the Karabakh conflict are in line neither with the Madrid Principles nor with the Moscow declaration … There is an apparent chaos of formulations,” Nalbandyan, said at a press conference today.

At the same time he recalled that the EU made its approach public in December 2009 in Athens. “That approach is fully in line with Armenia’s approach,” said Nalbandyan.

The document adopted by the European Parliament clarifies the EU’s role in tackling the frozen conflicts in the South Caucasus, particularly the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“Members of the European Parliament welcome the dynamic process of the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations, but call on the sides to intensify the talks to achieve peaceful settlement for the conflict,” proposed the EP.

Further it says that the European Parliament calls on making the negotiation process more active and quit all the actions that are aimed at preserving the status quo established by force and not in line with international law – something not beneficial for Armenia.

Particularly, the European Parliament requires that the “Armenian troops be pulled out of the Azerbaijani occupied territories to let those displaced to return to their homes.”

Further the European Parliament says it “insists on Armenian forces to withdraw from all occupied Azerbaijani territories adjacent to Nagorno Karabakh.”

What the EP suggests is giving Nagorno Karabakh a temporary status unless its final status becomes clear which will enable the sides to ensure during that transitional period the peaceful coexistence and cooperation of Armenian and Azerbaijani people.