French Government Called to Discuss Establishing Humanitarian Office in Nagorno-Karabakh

A draft resolution has been submitted in the French Senate directed at the government. It calls for the imposition of sanctions against Azerbaijan and demands the immediate withdrawal of its forces from Armenian territory, adherence to the terms of the November 9, 2020 ceasefire agreement, and support for any initiatives aimed at establishing lasting peace between the two countries.

The draft resolution states that the repeated aggression of Azerbaijani armed forces in Nagorno-Karabakh and southern and southeastern regions of Armenia violates the sovereignty of this state and breaches the ceasefire agreements concluded between the two parties.

Considering the necessity of recognizing the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh as adopted by the Senate on November 25, 2020, the resolution references reports from the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, indicating that living freely in Azerbaijan is impossible for the Armenian population. It highlights that the safety and freedom of the Armenian population living in Nagorno-Karabakh are not guaranteed by the Republic of Azerbaijan.

In light of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia, particularly in a region close to the European Union that poses risks of escalation involving regional powers, the Senate urged respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia, the immediate and unconditional release and repatriation of all Armenian prisoners of war.

The authors of the resolution condemned Azerbaijan’s violations of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and called on the Azerbaijani authorities to respect international treaties and conventions aimed at ensuring the safety and rights of the Armenian population.

The resolution calls upon the government to take into account the diplomatic and economic repercussions of these new aggressions and to consider the strongest possible responses in cooperation with European partners, including the seizure of assets of Azerbaijani leaders and an embargo on the import of gas and oil.

The authors of the resolution urged the government to consider establishing a humanitarian office in Nagorno-Karabakh and to provide France's support to Armenia in every possible way, specifically by considering strengthening Armenia's defense capabilities to ensure its territorial integrity.

Furthermore, the French government is called upon to take immediate action to guarantee the safety of the Armenian population and Armenia within internationally recognized borders, and to request the deployment of intermediary forces under the auspices of the international community for this purpose.

The resolution reaffirms the necessity of recognizing the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh and making that recognition a tool for negotiations aimed at establishing lasting peace.