YEREVAN, 19 JULY, ARMENPRESS. Vice Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Eduard Sharmazanov finds it at least strange and odd that a EU member country – Latvia – is signing a strategic cooperation declaration with one of the world’s most authoritarian regimes: the Azerbaijani president.

In an interview with ARMENPRESS, the Vice Speaker reminded that the very European media and structures have numerously talked about the human rights abuse, corruption scandals and support to terrorism by Azerbaijan.

“If the EU is the embodiment of human rights protection and democratic institutions, then how can one understand the cooperation of a EU member country and the most authoritarian regime of the world – moreover in the military sector. I, as the leader of the Armenian-Latvian friendship MP group, express my doubt to my European colleagues. This is unacceptable at least for me, because th European Union is first of all the protection of human rights and freedoms. And if you profess these values and sign a strategic declaration with a country which is thousands of miles away from protection of human rights, then this puts your reputation to doubt”, Sharmazanov said.

Commenting on the ideas and assessments which were voices in Latvia, the Vice Speaker mentioned that they have serious discontent in this regard.

“Latvia is a EU country, and any EU country must maintain the official EU stances in at least the official statements. In this specific statement and declaration, speaking on the process of Nagorno Karabakh settlements, it mentions peaceful settlement, territorial integrity, inviolability of borders, but there is not a word about the right of self-determination. To the consideration of our Latvian colleagues, it must be mentioned that a Minsk Group co-chairmanship format exists, where three principles exist. One of them is the principle of exercising the self-determination right, at least five statements of the Minsk Group co-chairing countries’ presidents are available on this. One of these co-chairing countries, France, is a EU member state, and not once has the EU, Mrs. Mogherini, declared that the three principles of the Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship, which include the self-determination right and the exercise of this right, are inviolable”, he said.

He found it at least uncertain and unacceptable that a EU member country does not mention the self-determination right in the statement.

Speaking about Baku’s assessments about the declaration, Sharmazanov said: “If Azerbaijan got so happy about this declaration, let me remind that without the complete implementation of the self-determination right of the people of NK the problem cannot be solved, while territorial integrity has nothing to do with Nagorno Karabakh, because it hasn’t been part of independent Azerbaijan for a single moment”.