Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 25
By Anahanum Khidayatova - Trend:
The Armenian lobby will take all necessary steps to ensure that resolutions of the PACE Political Affairs Committee on Azerbaijan are not accepted, MP of the Milli Majlis (Parliament) of Azerbaijan Asim Mollazade told Trend Nov.25.
In a draft resolution approved Nov.4, the PACE Political Affairs Committee called for the withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and the other occupied territories of Azerbaijan. It also called for the establishment of full sovereignty of Azerbaijan in these territories, in the framework of the OSCE Minsk process.
On Nov.3, the PACE's Social Affairs Committee adopted the draft resolution "Intentional deprivation of the residents of the Azerbaijani border regions of water."
"The adoption of resolutions on Azerbaijan by the PACE Political Affairs Committee is an important step in terms of international law," the Azerbaijani MP said.
Mollazade went on to add that if these resolutions are not finally approved, it will become a huge step backwards for Europe, a blow to international law and European values.
"I don't think Europe will go so as far as to deprive Armenia of voting right, the Armenian lobby is very influential in Europe," the MP said, commenting on the information about such a possibility, which has recently appeared in the Armenian media.
He went on to add that Azerbaijan should bring the fact of occupation of its territories and the Armenian aggression to Europe's attention.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
---
Follow the author on Twitter: @Anahanum