European Parliament hosts workshop on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
Baku, June 23 (AZERTAC).The European Parliament has hosted “Nagorno-Karabakh: security situation” workshop, which brought together international experts, diplomats, politicians, European parliamentarians and journalists.
Speaking to the event, Tracey German, Senior Lecturer, Defense Studies Department, King's College London, said: “The conflict is certainly not frozen: the fighting may have come to an end, but fundamental issues remain unresolved and the threat of renewed hostilities remains very real.”
The expert called Nagorno-Karabakh a separatist region of Azerbaijan. She pointed out to a significant growth in defense spending by both Azerbaijan and Armenia. German said the parliament of Armenia had recently voted for a six per cent increase in the military spending.
On Armenia`s economic situation, the lecturer said the country was very poor. She said that according to a Gallup survey in 2012, 40 per cent of respondents in Armenia expressed their desire to leave the country. German also pointed out to the existence of the 102nd Russian military base in Armenia.
Adam Eberhardt, Deputy Director, Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW), Poland, said Karabakh was a historical part of Azerbaijan. He referred to the Khojaly massacre by Armenian forces in 1992, and the existence of 600,000 Azerbaijani IDPs.
The expert said Armenia did not want to solve the conflict, adding the country was trying to maintain and strengthen the current “status quo”.
Eberhardt noted Karabakh receives political, economic and military assistance from Armenia. “Armenia inherited its ruling elite directly from Karabakh.”
“The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh poses a danger to peace and security on the borders of the European Union, one that may have serious implications and consequences way beyond the region. The unresolved conflict also hinders and puts at risk a number of EU objectives,” the expert added.
Philippe Lefort, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia, stressed the importance of respecting the principles featured in the UN Charter and the Helsinki Accords of 1975. He said the status-quo was absolutely unacceptable.
Lefort noted Azerbaijan`s occupied territories, including Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent regions, had to be returned.
Milan Cabrnokh, a member of the European Parliament, said the first stage in the conflict`s resolution had to be the liberation of the regions adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh.
Ivo Vajgl, a member of the European Parliament said Azerbaijan`s lands were occupied, adding “we do not see the respect towards international law and international documents on this issue”.
He noted the European Union had not to give any hope to Erevan that this status-quo could be accepted, adding otherwise this will mean the legalization of the occupation.
Vytautas Landsbergis, a member of the European Parliament, said Nagorno-Karabakh is not a disputed, but an occupied region. He added the resolution dated April 18 demands an unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from Azerbaijan`s occupied territories.
Charles Tannock, a member of the European Parliament, said the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was a source of serious threats to Europe`s energy security.
Other parliamentarians also stressed the necessity of pressing Armenia to free the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. They said Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs had to return to their homelands. The parliamentarians pointed out that Armenia was hiding information regarding its military spending. They said Armenia staged a military parade in Nagorno-Karabakh this May. One of the European Parliament members asked Lefort why the European Union had not given any reaction to the Armenian military parade.
Other news in this section
