EU Rejects Referendum Vote On Draft Constitution In Nagorno-Karabakh

EU REJECTS REFERENDUM VOTE ON DRAFT CONSTITUTION IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH
The Associated Press

International Herald Tribune, France
Dec 11 2006

BRUSSELS, Belgium: The European Union said Monday it would not
recognize the outcome of a referendum backing independence in the
breakaway Azerbaijani region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The 25-nation bloc said it was "aware that a ‘constitutional
referendum’ has taken place," but reiterated that only a negotiated
settlement between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenians who control the
region can bring a lasting solution.

Officials said preliminary results indicated more than 98 percent of
voters in Nagorno-Karabakh on Sunday backed the proposed
constitution, which describes the disputed territory as a "sovereign,
democratic" state.

"The EU recalls that it does not recognize the independence of
Nagorno-Karabakh. It recognizes neither the ‘referendum’ nor its
outcome," the EU said in a statement. It added that holding the
referendum pre-empts the outcome of negotiations and "did not
contribute to constructive efforts at peaceful conflict resolution."

Nagorno-Karabakh is a region in Azerbaijan that has been under the
control of Armenian and ethnic-Armenian Karabakh forces since a 1994
cease-fire. The six-year separatist conflict killed about 30,000
people and drove about 1 million from their homes, including many of
the region’s ethnic Azeris.

The final status of the region remains unresolved, despite years of
international mediation.

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