Russian expert: European Parliament can’t determine own priorities

PanARMENIAN.Net - European Parliament’s resolution for strengthening ties with the Eastern Partnership countries is rather contradictory, a Russian political analyst said.

“On one hand, it stresses inviolability of borders and territorial integrity while fully ignoring the principle of people’s right for self-determination,” Alexander Krylov told PanARMENIAN.Net

According to Krylov, European Parliament must prioritize the principle of people’s right for self-determination, considering Europe’s policy of human rights defence.

“On the other hand, European Parliament recently slammed rigged elections in Baku. Seems like EP finds it hard to determine its own priorities, as, while pressuring both Armenia and Azerbaijan, it offers nothing in return. To say nothing of the fact that visa regime facilitation with Armenia can’t be seen as a serious step, with no time frame or security measured mentioned. Also, Azerbaijan was offered nothing at all, except unimplementable instructions on its policies,” the expert said.

“The only purpose of the resolution seems to lie in pressuring borth countries into making concessions that the EU can benefit from. Clearly, Armenia’s decision to join the Customs Union also triggered addoption of the document,” Krylov said.

The European Parliament adopted a resolution on strengthening ties with Eastern Partnership states. The resolution included a Karabakh-related motion, demonstrating one-sided, pro- Azerbaijani approach to the conflict.

According to the motion, "occupation by one country of the Eastern Partnership of the territory of another violates the fundamental principles and objectives of the Eastern Partnership. The conclusion of the EU Association Agreements with Armenia and Azerbaijan should be linked to progress towards the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions 822, 853, 874 and 884 of 1993 and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group Basic Principles, enshrined in the L’Aquila joint statement of 10 July 2009."

"The European Parliament reaffirms the need to strive for the regional stability and security that are necessary to achieve the goals of the Eastern Partnership, also in the context of further integration with the EU; urges further efforts to progress towards the resolution of the territorial conflicts in Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Moldova."

According to the resolution, “it is deplorable that the EaP harbours a number of unsettled territorial disputes, which should be resolved; whereas Parliament fully subscribes to the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and the right to self-determination of nations.”