ArmInfo. Azerbaijan must stop its aggressive actions against the sovereign territory of Armenia, and the Lachin corridor must be opened so that people can move freely in both directions. European Parliament's Standing Rapporteur on Armenia Andrey Kovatchev, said in an interview to the Public Television of the Republic of Armenia.
According to him, any provocation or violence threatens the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The European Union is ready to assist this process, including through a civilian observation mission, whose presence on the borders of Armenia will make it possible to avoid further aggression against the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia.
Answering the PTA's question about Baku's demands to conclude a peace treaty on its terms, the EP rapporteur noted that the European Parliament, the European Commission and EU bodies are trying to promote both the establishment of bilateral ties and work on the delimitation and demarcation of borders.
This work, Kovatchev continued, without a doubt, should be carried out by the Armenian and Azerbaijani working groups. , the rapporteur stressed.
When asked if the rapporteur was familiar with the report of the EU civilian monitoring mission on the recent incident in the Syunik region of Armenia, Kovatchev noted that this was a completely new mission, which, as of the current situation, has not submitted any report to the European Parliament. , the EP rapporteur emphasized.
Speaking about the requirements of the European Parliament to apply sanctions against Azerbaijan if the latter does not comply with the decision of the International Court of Justice to lift the blockade of the Lachin corridor, he noted that the EU is the responsible party for the application of sanctions, but the body considers the diplomatic settlement of the problem a priority. , the rapporteur emphasized.
He also noted that he hears statements from Baku about his desire to be committed to the peace process. In this regard, Kovatchev called on Azerbaijan to avoid words of hatred and to voice provocative statements at the level of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, adviser to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, MPs, and other institutions.
The rapporteur also pointed to the EP resolution regarding the immediate release of Armenian servicemen held in Azerbaijani captivity. The same, according to him, applies to Armenia, if there are cases with Azerbaijani prisoners of war. This is a very important process for building an environment of trust so that people can return to their families.