EU warns about responsibility for commercial activities in occupied territories of Azerbaijan

Baku. 25 November. REPORT.AZ/ The European Union (EU) companies have been warned about the responsibility in engaging in any commercial activity in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan in the database of entry into the market on the official website of the Directorate General for Trade of the European Commission.

Report informs, the warning reads:

"According to Azerbaijani legislation, EU companies engaging in any commercial activity in Nagorno-Karabakh and/or the surrounding territories, whether directly or through business subsidiaries, risk civil and criminal penalties. It can result in criminal prosecution or other legal action being taken against individuals and businesses in Azerbaijan; it may also affect the ability to travel to Azerbaijan in the future".

Spokesperson for Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmet Hajiyev told Report that reference to the Azerbaijani legislation in the text of this warning means recognition of Azerbaijan's jurisdiction over the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.

According to him, this warning of the European Commission is an initial step towards the fulfillment of the legitimate demands of the EU to prevent the illegal activity of the physical and legal persons in the occupied territories:

According to him, this warning of the European Commission is an initial step towards the fulfillment of the legitimate demands of the Azerbaijan to prevent the illegal activities of the physical and legal persons of the EU in the occupied territories: "The sustainability of our propaganda on the issue with the EU at all levels, as well as existing formats of dialogue, the Joint Commission on bilateral economic and trade cooperation with the EU member states, played an important role in achieving the preliminary results.

Maintenance of this tendency does not exclude any further action by the EU in the future. "

According to him, in the context of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, the EU's political decisions on Azerbaijan are based on opinion of EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia (EUSR). The EUSR in its activity gives reports and takes advises from the EU Political and Security Committee (PSC) (EU ambassadors).

"This means that, regardless of where it is published, the above warning should be strictly adhered to all EU member states”, - H. Hajiyev said.