Azerbaijan, Baku, April 18 /Trend S.Agayeva/
Added details (The second version was published in 19:33)
The European Parliament adopted a resolution on Azerbaijan, which reflects the respect for the Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, spokesman for Foreign Ministry Elman Abdullayev told journalists.
Abdullayev said the resolution has been adopted at a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg today.
It is noted in the resolution that an associative agreement with Azerbaijan and Armenia will not be signed within the framework of the EU "Eastern Partnership" until the Azerbaijani occupied territories are not returned, the territory does not come under Azerbaijan's control and refugees don't return to their native land.
The resolution reflected the individual moments of L'Aquila statements signed by the presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group and the previous European Parliament resolution on May 20, 2010.
Abdullayev has evaluated the resolution as a victory of Azerbaijani diplomacy and evidence that the international community supports the fair position of Azerbaijan.
Abdullayev said the document also states that the occupation of the territory of one state by another is a violation of international principles and is contrary to the fundamental principles of the EU Neighbourhood Policy, and harms Eastern Partnership program.
Abdullayev said the document indicated the need to investigate the facts of illegal settlements at the occupied Azerbaijani territories.
The document calls Armenia to suspend sending regular army recruits to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan and at the same time welcomed the position of Azerbaijan on the implementation of confidence-building measures, Abdullayev said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 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 the 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.