Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan with regard to the Declaration of the Eastern Partnership Summit (Riga, 21-22 May 2015)

The Republic of Azerbaijan notes an attempt of the European partners to embrace in this Declaration in full the issues on the agenda of the Eastern Partnership. The Republic of Azerbaijan commends the efforts of the European Union to address a number of sensitive and challenging matters, while avoiding confrontational mode.

However, the Republic of Azerbaijan underlines that there are issues that cannot be a subject to compromise. Thus said, several countries of the Eastern Partnership are facing externally imposed armed conflicts and territorial claims that resulted in military occupation, ethnic cleansing and forced population displacements. These conflicts are caused and accompanied by flagrant violations of the fundamental norms and principles of international law, in particular those relating to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of the internationally recognized borders of States. These principles are at the core of inter-State relations and international security system both globally and on the European continent.

While noting the European Union’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all the partner countries, the Republic of Azerbaijan cannot but notice the attempt to cast shadow on the inviolability of these principles. In an effort to work out a compromised text with regard to the conflicts affecting some partner countries, the authors of the draft Declaration fell short of avoiding what is referred to in the international practice as ‘double standards’.

The Republic of Azerbaijan expects the clearly and unequivocally articulated position of the European Union with regard to the Armenia-Azerbaijan armed conflict, at the heart of the resolution of which are the United Nations Security Council resolutions 822 (1993), 853 (1993), 874 (1993) and 884 (1993)that reaffirm the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and the inviolability of its internationally recognized borders, and demand immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian occupying forces from all the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. The Republic of Azerbaijan awaits unambiguous and firm actions by the European Union to ensure that those resolutions are strictly complied with and implemented.