European Parliament Urges Azerbaijan to Comply with Minsk Group Mandates

European Parliament

STRASBOURG—The Plenary Session of the European Parliament held an urgent debate on Tuesday on the situation in Nagorno Karabakh, where Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the Commission stressed that the status quo in the conflict leads nowhere, and that both, Armenia and Azerbaijan should work together to find a peaceful solution.

Mogherini also reiterated the EU’s support to the OSCE Minsk Group, which is the only internationally mandated body to work towards a peaceful solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy welcomed the debate in the European Parliament, which followed deadly clashes along the border of Nagorno Karabakh with Azerbaijan, where on April 1, Azerbaijan initiated the heaviest attacks since the signing of the ceasefire in 1994, with heavy artillery and airpower against Armenian positions. The ceasefire was signed between the Republics of Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The overwhelming majority of Members of the European Parliament representing all political groups, stressed the fact that there can only be a peaceful solution to the conflict, and called on Azerbaijan to accept the OSCE Minsk Group proposals for an independent mechanism to investigate ceasefire violations.

Armenia has agreed to discuss the details of the mechanism which would enable to identify the initiator of the cease-fire violation and make it difficult for the sides to blame each other for initiating deadly attacks. Baku repeatedly rejects confidence-building measures proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group, including a system for investigating individual shooting incidents, including a pulling snipers from front-line positions.

Member of European Parliament, Frank Engel of Luxembourg said, that the only solution is the recognition of the independence of the Nagorno Karabakh, because today Azerbaijan is the aggressor, and it was the aggressor 24 years ago, and continued to violate the ceasefire on a smaller scale, and Baku glorifies a convicted killer, Ramil Safarov and believes that all Armenians in the region must disappear.

European Parliament member Eleni Theocharous of Cyprus, reiterated her support to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, stressing that the EU needs to put sanctions on the regime in Baku, and recognize the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh. MEP Stetina (EPP, Czech Republic) stressed the fact, that Karabakh was handed over to Azerbaijan by the Bolsheviks, and not supporting the Armenians, means accepting the Soviet regime’s rulings.

All in all, during the debate the members of the European Parliament deplored the human loss of the last days, and called on Azerbaijan to accept the confidence building proposals of the OSCE Minsk Group for a peaceful solution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Kaspar Karampetian, President of the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) said, “After Azerbaijan’s attack against Karabakh on April 1st, and the five day war which changed nothing at the border, this debate in the European Parliament once again showed the Armenian side’s constructive approach to the peaceful solution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, and it readiness to achieve by peaceful means, only. The overwhelming majority of the parliament members stressed, that it’s Azerbaijan rejecting the OSCE Minsk Group’s proposal to establish a mechanism for investigating ceasefire violations. As longs as Azerbaijan rejects those proposals, there can be no doubt as to which country is the aggressor and violates the ceasefire. Aliyev, by vain statements, by even shedding the blood of his own citizens keeps the country hostage to his authoritarian rule.”

“The European Armenian Federation will continue to cooperate with the Republic of Armenia mission to the EU, and with all those, who work towards strengthening our motherland, and strengthening our positions, internationally,” concluded Karampetian.