ORINATS YERKIR PARLIAMENTARY GROUP LABELS EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT’S RESOLUTION ON SOUTH CAUCASUS AS ABSURD

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 21, 2010 – 17:38 AMT 12:38 GMT

Head of Orinats Yerkir parliamentary group Heghine Bisharyan said that
there are positive provisions for Armenia in the Resolution on the
South Caucasus, which was adopted on May 20 by the European Parliament.

"It says that the Karabakh conflict should be solved peacefully, while
the Turkish-Armenian process should proceed without preconditions,"
Bisharyan said during a joint briefing with another OY member Hovhannes
Margaryan.

According to Bisharyan, the resolution contains also an absurd
provision, which is based on the report of Bulgarian Socialist MEP
Evgeny Kirilov, who presented his biased opinion.

"This provision suggests that the Bulgarian MEP is unaware of
the Karabakh conflict. And his personal opinion cannot have any
consequences for Armenia," she said.

Asked whether this resolution is a result of inefficient work of the
Armenian parliamentary delegation, Hovhannes Margaryan said that the
RA NA delegation actively works with the.

"Last year we managed to involve a representative of NKR in all
meetings of this format, but without the right to vote," he said.

On May 20, the European Parliament debated issues concerning EU’s
relations with Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. The Resolution on the
South Caucasus was proposed by Evgeni Kirilov, MEP, a Member of the
Socialist group in the European Parliament. The document reads that the
increase in military expenses in the region raises concern; besides,
under the document the European parliament "demands the withdrawal
of Armenian forces from all occupied territories of Azerbaijan."

The resolution also reads that the European Parliament "calls on
the parties to intensify their peace talk efforts for the purpose
of a settlement in the coming months, to show a more constructive
attitude and to abandon preferences to perpetuate the status quo
created by force and with no international legitimacy, creating in
this way instability and prolonging the suffering of the war-affected
populations; condemns the idea of a military solution and the heavy
consequences of military force already used, and calls on both parties
to avoid any further breaches of the 1994 ceasefire."

The Resolution goes on saying that the European Parliament "is
seriously concerned that hundreds of thousands of refugees and IDPs
who fled their homes during or in connection with the Nagorno-Karabakh
war remain displaced and denied their rights, including the right
to return, property rights and the right to personal security; calls
on all parties to unambiguously and unconditionally recognize these
rights, the need for their prompt realization and for a prompt solution
to this problem that respects the principles of international law."