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EU’s response to Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s protest note publicized

Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict Materials 29 December 2010 16:03 (UTC +04:00)
The Delegation of the European Union and the Embassy of Poland to the Republic of Azerbaijan answered the Note Verbale of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry regarding the visit of the member of European Parliament Tomasz Poreba to Nagorno-Karabakh.
EU’s response to Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s protest note publicized

Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 29 / Trend E.Ostapenko /

The Delegation of the European Union and the Embassy of Poland to the Republic of Azerbaijan answered the Note Verbale of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry regarding the visit of the member of European Parliament Tomasz Poreba to Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Note reads that the services of the EU High Representative/Vice President, Ms Ashton, had not been informed nor consulted about the visit, its objectives, program and contacts, the EU Baku office told Trend.

The European Parliament is an independent institution as EU institutions are based on a genuine separation of powers, the letter says. The services of the High Representative/Vice President, Ms. Catherine Ashton do not have any authority over the European parliament, nor on the resolutions, reports and individual actions of the European parliament or its members. 

According to the text, since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009, the High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Ms Ashton, is the main actor defining the EU's Foreign Policy. The EU respects the international principle of territorial integrity and believes that visits to the territories of any State should be done in accordance with international law and in cooperation with the country, or countries, concerned.

MEP, the keynote speaker on Armenia Tomasz Poreba, visited separatist Nagorno-Karabakh during his recent trip to Armenia, not informing official Baku about it.

In Nagorno-Karabakh he held meetings with the leadership of the unrecognized republic and discussing issues concerning the resolution of the Karabakh conflict, the situation in the region and bilateral relations, the Armenian media outlets reported earlier.

In the light of illegal entry to the territories of Nagorno Karabakh, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry on Dec.21 presented a protest note to the head of the EU delegation in Azerbaijan Roland Kobia and Polish ambassador Mikhal Labenda. Tomasz Poreba has been declared persona non grata by Azerbaijani authorities, and his further visits to the country are not welcomed.

As Poreba explained himself, he visited Nagorno-Karabakh at his own initiative to get familiarized with the situation on the scene and prepare a report.

"As the rapporteur on Armenia, I realized that just having extensive information about the region I can prepare an objective and comprehensive report. The main goal of an informal visit to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, was to understand the situation on the scene, but not from outside," Poreba told Trend earlier.

Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry insists on the need for consultations with the Azerbaijani side when visiting the occupied territories.

"If Poreba sought to make an unbiased report, before the visit to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh he had to discuss this issue with Azerbaijani official circles, know our position and our attitude to his visit," Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elkhan Polukhov told Trend.

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