Nagorno-Karabakh: MEPs strongly condemn the ongoing hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan
Joint statement by leading MEPs on the continuing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.
“On the eve of the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Geneva, we strongly condemn the ongoing hostilities between the two countries, in violation of three ceasefire agreements concluded on 10, 17 and 25 October 2020 as part of the continuous efforts of the international community to put an end to the fighting. The role of the international community should be only that of searching for peace and promoting negotiations between the warring sides.
The military clashes already led to enormous and pointless casualties and suffering among the civilian population. We express our condolences and sympathy to all those who have lost their loved ones and are forced to live in fear for their lives and livelihoods. We call for an immediate and unconditional stop of military operations in order to avoid a further irreversible humanitarian catastrophe. The protection of civilian lives is an obligation of both warring sides stemming from international law. Free and unhindered access for humanitarian operators to the conflict zone must be guaranteed in order to provide assistance to people in urgent need. We note with concern the military actions on the ground, which will be counterproductive when it comes to achieving a sustainable peace. We also call for the introduction of an effective international ceasefire monitoring mechanism.
We urge Armenia and Azerbaijan to re-start substantive negotiations under the auspices of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs and based on agreed basic principles as soon as possible. We call on all regional actors to support the talks under this format accepted by both sides and encourage them to take the urgent and necessary steps needed to achieve a lasting peace.”
The statement was co-signed by:
The Chair of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, David McAllister (EPP, DE);
The European Parliament’s standing rapporteur on Armenia, Andrey Kovatchev (EPP, BG); and
The European Parliament’s standing rapporteur on Azerbaijan, Željana Zovko (EPP, HR).
