Wednesday, December 28 2022 12:22

ArmInfo.A number of French lawmakers and political leaders have signed a transpartisan letter urging President Emmanuel Macron to intervene to 'prevent irreparable damage' and ensure the safety of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.

In a letter published by Le Monde, the politicians note that since  December 12, Azerbaijan has been occupying the Lachin corridor, the  only route to the outside world for the Armenian population of  Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh, creating the threat of a major humanitarian  disaster. About 120,000 people, including 30,000 children, have been  deprived of resources, including food and medical supplies. For three  days, Azerbaijan also cut off the gas supply, leaving people without  heating, in freezing temperatures.

"This event marks a further escalation of the aggression perpetrated  by Azerbaijan against Armenians, both citizens of Nagorno-Karabakh  and the Republic of Armenia, since September 2020; in total violation  of international law, the Geneva Conventions and the negotiations  within the framework of the Minsk Group of the Organization for  Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which provide for a  peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue," they note.

"There is every reason to believe that Azerbaijan will not stop there  and will use every opportunity to continue its destabilization and  harassment of the Armenian populations of Nagorno-Karabakh and the  Republic of Armenia, with the stated aim of ethnic cleansing," the  letter continues.

"Attested war crimes, promotion of ethnic hatred, destruction of the  Armenian cultural heritage, attack on Armenia in September 2022 and  illegal occupation since then of a part of its sovereign territory,  and repeated acts of violence against civilian populations: the  actions of Azerbaijan are inadmissible, and would lead France to  intervene anywhere and under any circumstances. Moreover, it is a  threat to a friendly people, "Armenia, our valiant little ally," in  the words of Georges Clemenceau (1841-1929)," the politicians say.

They remind that Armenians and France are linked by centuries of  cultural, political and economic ties.  Armenians and France are  linked by the trade routes to Asia and the Middle East, and by the  development of textile industries, the first caf‚ in Paris, the Suez  Canal, the growing of madder and apricots, and the accordions at  French balls.

Armenians and France are linked by the Armenian Legion that fought  under our flag during the Great War, and the sacrifice of Missak  Manouchian (1906-1944), the hero of the Resistance who refused to  allow barbarism to be repeated. "Finally, we are linked by the memory  of our greatest literary figures, from Corneille to Nerval, Sand to  Lamartine, Victor Hugo to Charles P‚guy, and Romain Rolland to Max  Jacob and Aragon."

"There are fundamental values, there are unbreakable principles that  unite us and make us a nation. The great and beautiful nation of  France. For the sake of these values and principles, which were born  from the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, for the sake  of the unbreakable ties that bind us to the Armenian people, the  Senate unanimously, except for one vote, and the National Assembly  unanimously adopted resolutions this November in support of Armenia,  which is a victim of partial military occupation and incessant  attacks," the politicians say.

In line with the democratic will of the National Assembly and the  Senate, they ask the President of the Republic to do everything  possible to ensure the lasting security of the Armenians of  Artsakh/Nagorno- Karabakh and the Republic of Armenia. Given that  Azerbaijan has announced that it refuses any international  negotiations on the Artsakh issue, the deputies and senators, appeal  to Macron to intervene immediately to prevent the irreparable by  taking the following measures:

Condemn Azerbaijan for violation of international law, occupation of  a part of the territory of the Republic of Armenia and war crimes,

Plan a humanitarian presence in Artsakh and provide immediate  economic assistance to Armenia.

Meet the representatives of Artsakh,

Mediate with partners in the EU and the United States so that they  take the same steps, and establish joint economic and political  sanctions against Azerbaijan,

Mediate with partners in the EU and the United States to ensure the  relaunching of the Stepanakert airport and ensure the safety of air  communication with Artsakh,

Submit a claim to the International Criminal Court with the prospect  of the UN Security Council sending an international peacekeeping  force.

"Mr. President, today you are in a position to prevent history from  repeating itself and correct one of its injustices. You can prove  today to the League of Nations that France is great and true to world  values, to its own moral duty and honor. Mr. President, you can  finally prove to all our compatriots that France is free, that it can  get rid of short-sighted political or economic strategies to protect  its humanistic ideals, which are the foundation of our Nation," the  lawmakers emphasize.

The letter has been signed by:

Eric Ciotti, President of the French Republican Party

Olivier Faure, General Secretary of the Socialist Party of France,  Member of the French National Assembly

Herv‚ Marseille, President of the United Democrats and Independents  Party of France, President of the Independents faction in the Senate

Fabien Roussel, General Secretary of the French Communist Party

Christian Cambon, President of the Standing Committee on Foreign  Affairs, Defense and Armed Forces of the French Senate

Bruno Retailleau, President of the "Republicans" faction of the  French Senate and the Senate's international awareness group on  Nagorno-Karabakh

ђliane Assassi, President of the Communist faction of the French  Senate

Guillaume Gontard, President of the Environmental Protection,  Solidarity and Territorial Administration faction of the French  Senate

Patrick Kanner, President of the Socialist and Environmental  Republican faction of the French Senate

Gilbert-Luc Devinaz, President of the "France-Armenia" friendship  group of the French Senate

Pierre Ouzoulias, Senator