European Parliament`s recommendation to impose sanctions against  Azerbaijani government officials important contribution to efforts to  prevent genocide in Artsakh 

ArmInfo.The Ministry of Foreign of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) has commented on the Adoption of European Parliament Resolutions on EU-Armenia and EU-Azerbaijan Relations.

The official statement reads: 

"We welcome the call in the European Parliament resolutions of 15  March 2023 addressed to the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure the  free and secure movement along the Lachin Corridor, as prescribed by  the Trilateral Statement of 9 November 2020, and to comply with their  obligations under the Order of the International Court of Justice of  22 February 2023. In this regard, we support the call of the European  Parliament on the EU Council to impose targeted sanctions against  Azerbaijani government officials, if the Order of the International  Court of Justice of 22 February 2023 is not immediately implemented.

"We consider it important that in its resolutions the European  Parliament has clearly acknowledged that the Azerbaijan-Karabakh  conflict, which has lasted for more than three decades and has  resulted in tens of thousands of casualties, immense destruction and  the forced displacement of thousands of people, remains unresolved.

"In particular, members of the European Parliament expressed their  legitimate and justified concern over the fact that the ceasefire  statement of 9 November 2020, introduced following the 44-day war  waged by Azerbaijan in 2020, has not been fully implemented, deadly  military clashes continue to erupt periodically, the ceasefire has  been violated repeatedly resulting in hundreds of casualties and the  occupation of new territory by Azerbaijani troops, including the  territory of the Republic of Armenia, and since 12 December 2022,  civilian traffic between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh along the  Lachin Corridor has been blocked, which has a negative impact on  deliveries of food and other essential supplies to Artsakh.

"In its resolution on EU-Azerbaijan relations, the European  Parliament also recognised and condemned Turkey's expansionist and  destabilising role in the South Caucasus, which manifested itself,  among other things, in sending Syrian mercenaries to the conflict  zone to fight on the side of Azerbaijan, and expressed the position  that for Turkey to play a constructive role in the region, it should  reconsider its unconditional support for Azerbaijan and take tangible  steps towards normalising relations with Armenia.

"We share the position of European Parliamentarians that sustainable  and lasting peace cannot be achieved through military means and the  threat or use of force, but requires a comprehensive political  settlement in accordance with international law, including the  principles enshrined in the UN Charter, the 1975 OSCE Helsinki Final  Act, in particular non-use of force, territorial integrity and equal  rights and self- determination of peoples, as well as the Basic  Principles of the OSCE Minsk Group of 2009.

"In this regard, we concur with the European Parliament members that  comprehensive peace requires an end to all violence and addressing  the root causes of the conflict, including those related to ensuring  the security and the rights of the Armenians of Artsakh and  determining its final status, and the issue of the prompt and safe  return of all refugees and internally displaced people to their  homes.

"We are confident that the resolutions of the European Parliament,  including its recommendation to impose targeted sanctions against  Azerbaijani government officials, will become an important  contribution to the common efforts to end the blockade and stop  Azerbaijan's criminal plans to commit ethnic cleansing and genocide  in Artsakh."