Home page   » CONFLICT IN EU    » Nagorno-Garabagh conflict in EU   

Nagorno-Garabagh conflict in EU

  


Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with European Union

The history of the cooperation between the European Union and Azerbaijan begins from 1993.
Relations between this international organization and our country were built exactly that year in February.
On April 7, 1993 the EU made a statement concerning the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
In that statement, the Community and its member states expressed their concern over the deepening of the
conflict and their sadness over the expansion of the operation in the Kalbajar and Fizuli regions. However,
this statement did not express any concrete attitude regarding the fact that Armenia has occupied territories
of our republic, and did not state any idea about the true reasons of the conflict. The EU was trying to
approach the issue from a more neutral position and not confess whom the aggressor is.
In September of that year, new operations of the Armenian occupational forces in the border region
forced the organization to issue one more statement. This document condemned the military attacks against
Azerbaijan and expressed concern over the greatly increased number of refugees. The EU supported the
efforts of the CSCE Minsk group in the direction of the achievement of peace in the region, and called the
parties concerned to create favorable conditions for the realization of this process. The organization required
parties concerned to respect the UN resolutions and marked the necessity of the withdrawal of troops from
the Kalbajar, Aghdam, Fizuli and Jabrayil regions. In addition, the statement required Armenia not to render
assistance to the local Armenian forces, which have attacked the Azerbaijan territories.
"The Community and its member states fully support the efforts being made by the Minsk group
within the framework of the CSCE to consolidate the provisions on ceasefire. (On August 31, 1993 an agreement reached between authoritative bodies of Nagorno-Karabakh and the Azerbaijan government regarding this). They urge the parties concerned to embark on any form of additional dialogue, which would make it possible to implement the timetable on which there was agreement in principal by all parties. The
Community and its member States also hope to see local Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh fully respect
United Nations Security Council Resolutions 822 and 853, and withdraw from the regions of Kalbajar,
Agdam, Fizuli and Jabrail. The Community and its member States have no evidence that Azerbaijan would
be capable of initiating major attacks from these regions.
One can see that the document contains no exact information about the conflict's essence. At the same
time, the EU did not show who the aggressive was.
In Nov 9, 1993 the EU adopted a new statement on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and this paper had no difference from previous ones. The organizations pointed out the concern over intensifying of attacks and that the increase in number of refugees would bring to more tension in the region   
In general, the European Union's position proved once more it is not interested in the conflict and did
not display a serious trend to express its decisive position concerning this process because, settlement of the
conflict is not included in the EU's activity strategy. At the same time, it should be taken into account that
initially the organization displayed very little interest in the Southern Caucasus and the process going on here
in general. Since the EU has been the means of a pure economic union, it always tries to demonstrate a
careful position regarding political issues, as well as conflicts.
Despite this, one of the main events expressing the EU's position concerning the Armenia- Azerbaijan,
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict took place in 2003. For the settlement of the conflict, the organization suggested
the return of 5 occupied regions of Azerbaijan instead of the opening of communication lines. This proposal
was the object of discussions for a long time and maintains its topicality as well today. The EU's intention
both to develop relations with the region and to take an active part in the settlement of the Armenia -  Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has become quite a serious matter. 
This once more displays that the peace process has been viewed in a wider plane, and the problem worries the international community.
All of these events show once more that despite separate states adopting different documents, resolutions, and statements' concerning the aggressive policy of Armenia against Azerbaijan, the aggressive state does not yet retreat from its positions. This can be assessed because of the unwillingness of the international community to punish the aggressor the way it deserves. There is only one way of settling the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and this is to achieve as well this country's observance of the principles of international law, which have been accepted by everybody.



Read: 6473