The Statement of Individual Members of the European Parliament is Their Personal Opinion

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh has commented on the simultaneous statements made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan and three members of the European Parliament regarding the construction of a road connecting Artsakh to the Republic of Armenia. In its commentary, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh particularly states:

“First and foremost, it is important to highlight that the construction of new roads and the implementation of other communication projects in the Republic of Artsakh, which are necessary to ensure its safe development and enhance the opportunities for free movement of citizens, is the sovereign right and duty of the authorities of Artsakh. Calls for any project in the Republic of Artsakh to be coordinated with neighboring Azerbaijan are devoid of any legal basis and logic. The implementation of communication projects connecting Artsakh to the Republic of Armenia and the outside world is especially relevant against the backdrop of Azerbaijan's ongoing attempts to isolate Artsakh, manipulating certain principles of international law. At the same time, the Azerbaijani authorities do not even hide the fact that the blockade, including the air blockade, is considered a part of their overall strategy aimed at the physical annihilation of Artsakh and its residents. The threats made by the Azerbaijani authorities to shoot down civilian aircraft are indicators of Azerbaijan's inhumane policy.

It is noteworthy that the Azerbaijani authorities openly display their contempt for international law. The essence of Azerbaijan's attitude towards international law is reflected in the statement made by the President of Azerbaijan: 'Today, international law does not operate in the world; international treaties are merely pieces of paper, they have no value.'

Secondly, the statement made by individual members of the European Parliament is their personal opinion, which does not correspond to previously adopted documents by the European Parliament, including resolutions on the unacceptability of the blockade of Artsakh. The fact that some of the authors of the statement have received state awards from Azerbaijan largely explains why their position completely aligns with that of official Baku. The biased and unobjective nature of the European parliamentarians’ statement is so evident that it cannot contain any useful message or play a positive role in creating conditions 'conducive to building mutual trust, peace, and reconciliation,' which these parliamentarians allegedly express concern about.

Even more cynical is the attempt by the authors of the statement to mask their bias with care for the peace process under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group. By using politically motivated formulations that contradict the terminology of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and mislead the international community regarding the essence of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict, this trio of European parliamentarians is, in fact, damaging the peace process.

We are convinced that a just resolution of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict is possible only on the basis of a human-centered approach. Attempts to isolate an entire nation, threats of its physical annihilation, and hindrances to the fulfillment of individual and collective rights of people are remnants of the past and have no place in the modern world.”