In a statement, the Milli Majlis said: "The statement, which is adopted ahead of another anniversary of the Khojali Genocide of the Azerbaijani people that Armenia committed, and the absurd and utterly unfounded accusations levelled at Azerbaijan once again divulge the true essence of Armenia as well as of the European Parliament.

Consequently, this document is another demonstration of the insincerity of the Armenian side in the conversations with Azerbaijan. The support for the joint statement by representatives of the Armenian parliament, including members of the ruling party participating in the work of the Committee, is a clear indication that the Armenian parliament contradicts the country's leadership's statements on recognising Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as on the normalisation of interstate relations.

On the other hand, this statement is yet another manifestation of the policy of hatred of Azerbaijan that is deeply embedded in the European Parliament.

We would like to remind those who persist in their attempts to portray Armenia as a victim that for decades, Armenia was a state that nurtured a fascist ideology. It was precisely this ideology that formed the basis of its 30-year aggression against Azerbaijan. During the occupation period, Armenia committed grave crimes, including war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of genocide. Armenia pursued a policy of ethnic cleansing, forcing around a million Azerbaijanis to leave their native lands, including Zangazur, Dereleyez, Gioycha and other territories, turning them into refugees and internally displaced persons. Armenia completely destroyed and pillaged 20% of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognised territories, inflicted material damage worth billions of US dollars to state and private property and annihilated or appropriated Azerbaijani cultural heritage both in the occupied territories and within its own borders.

Armenia never took action to investigate the war crimes during the term of its next state administration, either. Not a single Armenian person was brought to account, over decades for the grave crimes committed against the innocent Azerbaijanis. The situation remains the same under the current Government of Armenia, which is mistakenly painted as a democratic one, one that defends human rights.

Regrettably, and despite the numerous international documents on the occupation of the Azerbaijani territories, including the four resolutions of the UN Security Council, neither the European Union nor its parliamentary institutions have ever called for sanctions to be imposed on Armenia, thus, in effect, having promoted continuation of the unlawful occupation of the Azerbaijani lands. That, in turn, unmasks the Azerbaijanophobic sentiment deeply rooted amongst the MEPs who insist on sanctions against Azerbaijan.

Another deplorable aspect is the complete lack of any stance on the part of the European Parliament regarding Armenia’s decades-long contamination of Azerbaijani territories with landmines and Armenia’s refusal to collaborate in addressing the consequences of this racist policy against our country. It seems that MEPs are either incapable of understanding of noticing or deliberately ignoring the fact that innocent people continue dying as a result, and that these mines pose serious obstacles to the reconstruction and restoration efforts carried out by Azerbaijan entirely at its own expense.

The European Union is equally as indifferent to the fate of the 4,000 Azerbaijanis who went missing during the erstwhile conflict. Meanwhile, the mass burials discovered in the de-occupied territories reaffirm the scale and atrocity of the inhuman crimes that Armenia had inflicted upon Azerbaijanis.

Whilst speaking about human rights, including the right of return, MEPs somehow easily ignore the right of return for the approximately 250,000 Azerbaijani refugees who were forcibly evicted in the late 1980s from what is now the territory of Armenia. Common sense demands that the European Parliament adopt a fair approach to this fundamental human rights issue and call on Armenia to provide for those people’s return to their ancestral lands. Unfortunately, both Armenia and the European Parliament stubbornly ignore this issue whereas its resolution could contribute favourably to building trust between the two countries. Such behaviour is utterly contradictory to the liberal values that the European Union claims to uphold.

Azerbaijan's concerns regarding Armenia’s Constitution and other legal documents are legitimate and well-founded. The fact remains that Armenia’s Constitution contains territorial claims to Azerbaijan. Such provisions call into question the validity of any international agreement that contradicts this fundamental document of the country. In the context, Azerbaijan’s stance on the necessity of amending Armenia’s Constitution is by no means excessive and, moreover, cannot be considered solely an internal matter for Armenia. Full recognition of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity by Armenia must be ensured.

As regards the EU Mission in Armenia (EUMA), it should be mentioned that it was established in contradiction of the promises given to Azerbaijan and fails to serve the originally declared goal of strengthening regional stability and trust between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It is clear from observations that the EUMA is in fact used widely as a propaganda tool to inflame animosity and baseless Azerbaijanophobia. Over the past period, the Mission has openly demonstrated its bias against Azerbaijan and has been used as a means of spreading false and misleading narratives. Unfortunately, the provocative actions of the EUMA continue encouraging Armenia and distracting it from efforts towards the final normalisation of relations with Azerbaijan. Such actions have the potential to artificially escalate tensions along the border.

It is deeply disturbing that the EU has decided to extend military assistance to Armenia – the Armenia which kept in occupation territories of its neighbour for 30 years – via the European Peace Mechanism and other programmes. Such assistance to the aggressor is demonstrably a move intended to destabilise the region and, potentially, incite an arms race.

Given the above, the claims made in the statement regarding the EU’s role in the process of normalising Azerbaijani-Armenian relations are entirely unfounded. The EU has lost its role in this process due to the actions of its institutions and certain member states. The European Parliament has been particularly active in this matter and, as a result, has no moral right to express regret on the issue.

It is to this backdrop that the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan firmly refutes the biased and one-sided statement of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Partnership Committee, which distorts historical facts and accuses Azerbaijan unfairly. Such actions only deepen divisions and undermine efforts to ensure peace and reconciliation. If the European Parliament truly seeks to promote stability in the South Caucasus, it should adopt a balanced and fair approach complete with acknowledging past injustices and refraining from encouraging Armenia’s revanchist policies and attempts at militarisation."

More about: