European Parliament
The European Parliament on Thursday adopted a strongly-worded resolution that condemns Azerbaijan’s military aggression against Artsakh, calling on the EU to sanction Azerbaijani officials responsible for the ceasefire violation in Artsakh which led to numerous human rights violations.
The resolution was adopted in a vote of 491 to nine with 36 abstentions.
Condemning Azerbaijan’s violent seizure of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Members of the European Parliament called for sanctions against those responsible and for the EU to review its relations with Baku.
In the resolution the European Parliament strongly condemned Azerbaijan’s pre-planned and unjustified military attack against Nagorno-Karabakh on September 19, which the European Parliament members said constitutes a gross violation of international law and human rights and a clear infringement of previous attempts to achieve a ceasefire.
With more than 100,000 Armenians having been forced to flee Artsakh since the latest offensive, the European Parliament members said the current situation amounts to ethnic cleansing and strongly condemned threats and violence committed by Azerbaijani troops against the Armenian inhabitants of Nagorno-Karabakh.
They also called on the EU and member states to immediately offer all necessary assistance to Armenia to deal with the influx of refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh and the subsequent humanitarian crisis.
“Appalled by Azerbaijan’s latest attack, Parliament calls on the EU to adopt targeted sanctions against the government officials in Baku responsible for multiple ceasefire violations and human rights abuses in Nagorno-Karabakh. While reminding the Azeri side that it bears full responsibility for ensuring the safety and well-being of all people in the enclave,” the European Parliament resolution said, demanding investigations into abuses committed by Azerbaijani troops that may constitute war crimes.
Expressing serious concern over “irredentist and inflammatory statements by Azerbaijani president llham Aliyev and other Azeri officials threatening the territorial integrity of Armenia,” the European lawmakers warned Baku against any potential military adventurism and called on Turkey to restrain its ally.
Parliament called on the EU to undertake a comprehensive review of its relations with Baku. To develop a strategic partnership with a country like Azerbaijan, which blatantly violates international law and international commitments, and has an alarming human rights record, is incompatible with the objectives of EU foreign policy, European lawmakers said.
They urged the EU to suspend any negotiations on a renewed partnership with Baku, and should the situation not improve, consider suspending the application of the EU visa facilitation agreement with Azerbaijan.
Parliament also called on the EU to reduce its dependency on Azeri gas imports and, in the event of military aggression or significant hybrid attacks against Armenia, for a full EU import stop of Azeri oil and gas.