On behalf of its chapters across Europe the EAFJD deplores the recent joint statement of the Members of the European Parliament, Marina Kaljurand, Traian Basescu, and Željana Zovko concerning the construction of a new highway, between Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
Unfortunately, such a statement is not only counterproductive for the peace process but it also undermines fundamental human rights, such as the right of a people (in this case the people of Nagorno Karabakh/Artsakh) to development and freedom of movement. These rights are inalienable and by no means depend on the status of a country. Hence the content of this statement undermines the credibility of the European Parliament as a house of democracy.
The signatories of the statement express their “unwavering support to the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group” and therefore logically also Basic Principles. How coherent it is to state this and in the next sentence claim that the conflict must be resolved within the framework of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan? For anyone who is even superficially familiar with the negotiation process, it is clear that the essence of this statement in fact undermines the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group and all that has been agreed until now.
Whether it was intended or not, this self-contradictory statement is unfortunately a word-for-word reflection of the official Azerbaijani policy of total isolation imposed on an indigenous population. Unfortunately, such a statement also encourages the war-rhetoric of a regime that is widely notorious for crackdowns on freedom of expression, for scandalous, elaborate corruption mechanisms (Azerbaijani Laundromat) and modern slavery, regularly exposed by renowned platforms of investigative journalism.
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As European citizens we believe that the European Union is a union of values. We do believe the Members of the European Parliament, in this case from the major political groups such as the EPP and the S&D are accountable for and have a moral obligation of upholding these values.
Hence we call on the signatories of this statement to refrain from supporting rhetoric of oppression, the isolation of an indigenous population and raise their voice for the fact that the people of Nagorno Karabakh are currently left on their own in the face of the Covid-19 global pandemic.
European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy