ArmInfo. MEPs intend to approve a European Parliament resolution on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan's attack and the continuing threats against Armenia.
According to the draft available on the official website of the European Parliament, the European Parliament:
Condemns in the strongest terms the pre-planned military attack by Azerbaijan against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh and calls for an immediate and complete end to the violence against the people of this region;
Stresses that this attack represents a gross violation of international law and human rights and a clear infringement of the trilateral ceasefire statement of 9 November 2020 and of the commitments that Azerbaijan made in the negotiations mediated by the EU;
calls on all parties to the conflict to actively support and ensure the full implementation of the ceasefire agreed on 20 September 2023;
Deplores the loss of life and injuries resulting from the recent attack by Azerbaijan, including after an explosion at a fuel depot on 25 September 2023; expresses its solidarity with the Armenians of Nagorno- Karabakh who have been forced to flee their homes; considers that the current situation amounts to ethnic cleansing and strongly condemns threats and acts of violence committed by Azerbaijani troops against the population of Nagorno-Karabakh;
Reminds Azerbaijan that it bears full responsibility for the safety and well-being of all people in Nagorno- Karabakh and must be held accountable; urges the Azerbaijani authorities to refrain from any actions that could lead to the continuation of the forced exodus of the local population; calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to allow the safe return of the Armenian population to Nagorno-Karabakh, to offer solid guarantees regarding the protection of their rights and to refrain from any inflammatory rhetoric that would incite discrimination against Armenians or urge Armenians to leave Nagorno-Karabakh; reminds the Azerbaijani authorities that the right to return to one's home is a fundamental precept of international human rights law; calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to closely consult the Council of Europe, the UN, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and other international organisations concerning best practices to guarantee the rights of ethnic Armenians; calls on Azerbaijan to release all inhabitants of Nagorno-Karabakh arrested since 19 September 2023, including former officials from the region;
Demands the immediate lifting of the blockade of the Lachin corridor in order to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need in Nagorno-Karabakh and that the Lachin corridor be opened and kept open, as it provides a physical connection for Karabakh Armenians to their land, property, culture and heritage; urges the Azerbaijani authorities to make every effort to ensure that Armenians who have left are able to access all the necessary information on how to restore their residency in NagornoKarabakh and avail themselves fully of all other rights to property, social benefits and education, among other things, should they decide to return;
Calls for the EU and its Member States to urgently work towards securing international guarantees ensuring the safety and well-being of Armenians living in NagornoKarabakh and the immediate restoration of full humanitarian access to the region; calls for the creation of all necessary conditions for the safe return of refugees to their homes; calls for the rapid deployment of a UN inter-agency mission to Nagorno-Karabakh to monitor and assess the human rights and security situations, as well as the preservation of cultural and historical heritage sites; calls for the urgent replacement of the Russian peacekeeping forces with an international peacekeeping mission;
Reiterates its condemnation of the Azerbaijani military incursions into the internationally recognised territory of Armenia; reiterates its demand for the withdrawal of Azerbaijan's troops from the entirety of the sovereign territory of Armenia; rejects and expresses its grave concern regarding irredentist and inflammatory statements made by the Azerbaijani president and other Azerbaijani officials threatening the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Armenia, including those in connection with the so-called Zangezur corridor; condemns the support provided during this crisis to Azerbaijan by other countries and calls for an end to this support in order to prevent further escalation;
Calls for the EU and its Member States to adopt targeted sanctions against individuals in the Azerbaijani Government responsible for multiple ceasefire violations and violations of human rights in Nagorno- Karabakh; calls for investigations of abuses committed by Azerbaijani forces that could constitute war crimes; calls for a comprehensive review of the EU's relations with Azerbaijan, taking into account recent developments and the worsening human rights situation in the country; calls, if Azerbaijan continues to disregard its commitments, for the EU and its Member States to consider suspending the visa facilitation agreement with Azerbaijan and lowering the level of cooperation with the country in other areas;
Finds unacceptable comments and threats addressed towards MEPs by the Azerbaijani authorities, including the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to the EU;
Condemns President Erdogan for exploiting the armed conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh to advance Trkiye's political and economic interests; encourages Turkiye to take a constructive and responsible approach regarding Armenia's territorial integrity and to foster peace in the region;
Commends Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for his commitment to peace; reiterates the EU's commitment to supporting Armenia's sovereignty, democracy and territorial integrity; strongly condemns Russia's increasing hybrid attempts to destabilise the political situation inside Armenia; welcomes Armenia's determination to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court; Calls for the EU to respond favourably to Armenia's request for support via the European Peace Facility and to increase its humanitarian and financial assistance to Armenia, which faces the arrival of tens of thousands of refugees; calls for the EU, in the light of the disruption to the education of thousands of ethnic Armenians, to help establish and fund scholarships for pupils and students who have been evacuated so that they can continue their studies;
Believes that genuine dialogue between Azerbaijan, Armenia and representatives of the Karabakh Armenians is the only sustainable way forward and calls for the EU and its Member States to support such efforts; underlines the need for a comprehensive peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan which must include the mutual recognition of territorial integrity, guarantees for the rights and security of Nagorno-Karabakh's Armenian population and the release of prisoners;
Calls for the EU and its Member States to increase their presence on the ground and increase humanitarian aid to people displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia or living in Nagorno-Karabakh;
Calls on the EU civilian mission in Armenia to closely monitor the evolving security situation on the ground, provide transparent reporting to the European Parliament and actively contribute to conflict resolution efforts; supports increasing the size and strengthening the mandate of the European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) and extending its duration; deplores the fact that Azerbaijan never allowed EUMA to be deployed on its territory;
Expresses deep dissatisfaction at the fact that regular alerts by the European Parliament regarding the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and the risks of a catastrophic outcome were disregarded by the Commission and the Council; deplores the fact that EU action has not so far led to any positive results whatsoever; demands that the EEAS reconsider its action in the South Caucasus and replace dedicated staff;
Deplores the Hungarian Government's decision to block a joint statement of all EU Member States condemning the military operation by Azerbaijan against the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh; urges the Council to unite in support of the EU having more active involvement in the protection of human rights and the promotion of peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia;
Questions the appropriateness of increasing the EU's dependency on gas exports from Azerbaijan; urges the Commission to investigate suspicions that Azerbaijan actually exports Russian gas to the EU; calls for the suspension of all imports of oil and gas from Azerbaijan to the EU in the event of military aggression against Armenian territorial integrity or significant hybrid attacks against Armenia's constitutional order and democratic institutions;
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the President, Government and Parliament of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the President, Government and Parliament of the Republic of Armenia, the Government and Parliament of the Russian Federation, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the UN and the Council of Europe.
The full text of the draft resolution is available here:
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2023- 0402_EN.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0DyrlDhoDG5e6lvrkKIjw91--AXCw7AkRX0lnfZXNfjcV_iTyJT5vEJMU