ArmInfo.A roundtable discussion on the topic "The Geopolitical Developments in the South Caucasus: Focus on Armenia and Artsakh" was held at the Belgian Senate.
According to the press service of the ARF Central Bureau, the event, organized by Senator Mark Demesmaeker in cooperation with the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD), attracted a wide audience, including Belgian parliamentarians, diplomats, journalists and representatives of civil society.
The roundtable featured four keynote speakers: Els Van Hoof: Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Belgian Federal Parliament; Paul Meerts: International negotiation analyst and co-founder of Clingendael Institute; Gegham Stepanyan: Ombudsman of Nagorno Karabakh; Benyamin Poghosyan: Senior Research Fellow at the Applied Policy Research Institute of Armenia The primary objective of the conference was a comprehensive analysis of geopolitical developments in the South Caucasus region since September 2020, particularly in light of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
Speakers presented views from a variety of perspectives, including international law, human rights and the international community's response. Particular attention was paid to mediation efforts, including the role of the European Union.
Opening the discussions, Mark Demesmaeker noted the importance of maintaining vigilance and priority attention to the processes in the South Caucasus.
" Having visited Nagorno-Karabakh and the border region with Azerbaijan, I've seen the conflict's impact firsthand. Azerbaijan's aggression and the ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh, is utterly unacceptable. We need to pressure the EU and the international community to end impunity. Democracies must unite to safeguard human rights and prevent atrocities. It's vital not to overlook the South Caucasus amidst the focus on the Middle East and Ukraine. We cannot ignore the suffering and instability in this region," the senator said.
In turn, Els Van Hoof stated: "The recent demolition of Artsakh's parliament symbolizes Azerbaijan's ongoing cultural cleansing. We cannot remain silent on this matter. The EU must reevaluate its relations with Azerbaijan and utilize its available policy tools to halt the violations of the fundamental rights of the Karabakh Armenians. Additionally, the option to impose sanctions should be considered on the European level."
Benyamin Poghosyan focused on the peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan, stating: "There was a fundamentally flawed logic that the appeasement policy towards Azerbaijan and acceptance of the destruction of the self-proclaimed Nagorno Karabakh Republic would pave the way for Armenia - Azerbaijan peace. Instead, it only bolstered Azerbaijan to be more aggressive towards Armenia, and now we face a real threat of new escalation by Azerbaijan with the strategic goal to open the land corridor with Nakhijevan and Turkey by occupying parts of Armenia."