EU CONDEMNS ‘PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS’ IN ARMENIAN-OCCUPIED TERRITORY

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
July 18 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend K.Ramazanova / Allan Vaddams, the head of
the European Commission’s Baku office, stated in Baku on the 18 July
that the so-called ‘presidential elections’ in the Nagorno-Karabakh
have no logical grounds.

"The presidential elections in the Armenian-occupied Azerbaijani
territory, scheduled for the 19 July will also be discussed at the
Council of Europe and OSCE."

The official of the European Commission voiced his negative position on
these elections and stressed they will not be recognized by European
countries. The European Union does not recognize the Nagorno-Karabakh
as an independent establishment.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenia has
occupied 20% of Azerbaijani lands including the Nagorno-Karabakh
region and its seven surrounding districts. Since 1992 to the present
time, these territories have been under Armenian occupation. In 1994,
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a cease-fire agreement at which time
active hostilities ended. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (
Russia, France and USA) are holding peaceful negotiations.