French Gendarmes to Join EU Observer Mission

In an interview with CivilNet, Nathalie Loiseau, a French Member of the European Parliament and former Minister for European Affairs, addressed the decision of Brussels to deploy a two-year EU civilian mission on the Armenian side of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. Loiseau also spoke about France's role in the EU mission and the overall peace process.

“The European Parliament adopted a resolution calling not only for the opening of the Lachin corridor but also for ensuring access for international organizations, including OSCE or EU fact-finding missions to Nagorno-Karabakh. The International Crisis Group published a report last week pointing out that this decision was not easily made, that there was resistance; some in the EU wanted to focus on Ukraine, while others worried that such resolutions might jeopardize important energy deals with Azerbaijan. Can you tell us what it took to adopt this resolution?”

“Our resolution received broad support and was adopted by the European Parliament, demonstrating a strong consensus condemning the blockade imposed by Azerbaijan on the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh within the Lachin corridor. We presented facts and clear analysis of what is happening; for far too long, the only access to Nagorno-Karabakh has been through the International Committee of the Red Cross. We expect UN agencies to be present there, especially now. The EU has kept its distance from the conflict for too long. Now, given the humanitarian crisis and the lack of sufficient protection from Russia for the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, the EU and OSCE must do more.”

“The resolution also condemned the blatant inaction of Russian peacekeepers. Certainly, the EU adopted a very clear position regarding Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine last February, and its relations with Russia are at their lowest level. Nonetheless, can it be said that there is an understanding in Brussels that Armenia is concerned about the deterioration of EU-Russia relations and the potential negative impact this could have on the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, which could lead to security risks for them?”

“We look at the facts and listen to the statements. The fact is that despite the presence of Russian 'peacekeepers,' the blockade has continued for over 50 days. If Moscow wanted to stop it, it would have done so already. It was Russia that assumed obligations regarding traffic in Nagorno-Karabakh and the Lachin corridor on November 9, 2020, not the EU. I want to remind you that this obligation has been recognized by the EU and was mentioned at the quadrilateral meeting held in Prague last October. Russia’s inaction does not harm the EU. It harms the Armenian people. We hear skepticism from Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov regarding the EU's efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan. But we also see that he is taking Azerbaijan's side regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh issue: if you have such friends, you don’t need enemies.”

“In addition to EU-Armenia relations, your home country France has repeatedly raised concerns about Armenia's security challenges. The French Parliament has also supported Armenia and Artsakh. Would you like France, as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, to invest even more efforts, resources, and time in mediating between the parties?”

“You correctly emphasize that France is the most active country concerned with Armenia. The question is, what is the best format for mediation between Azerbaijan and Armenia? Frankly, I am agnostic. It doesn’t matter whether the cat is black or white as long as it catches mice. I don’t see much dynamism in the co-chairmanship of the Minsk Group, probably due to Russia’s growing isolation. I welcome the progress made during the quadrilateral meeting last October between the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia and the Presidents of the European Council and France, Charles Michel and Emmanuel Macron, with strong engagement from France. It was at that time that the decision was made to send a mission to the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It has now been expanded and extended, and I think that is a very positive development. Therefore, in my opinion, this quadrilateral format is timely.”

“The EU resolution, the visit of the President of the French Parliament, the numerous phone calls from European leaders... all call for the lifting of the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh. Despite this, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated in an interview with state television in January that, I quote, he responds to these calls out of politeness. Undoubtedly, these statements and resolutions are important and greatly appreciated by Armenia. However, there are concerns that these statements and resolutions do not have an impact. Is there anything additional you would like to see regarding exerting pressure on Baku to lift the blockade?”

“My first reaction would be to insist that negotiations cannot occur while the Lachin corridor is blocked. I would also like to see a fact-finding mission urgently sent to the corridor. This would be the role of the UN Security Council - to go, see, and speak out. In that case, we should not shy away from the prospects of adopting a resolution in the UN Security Council.”

“The European Union has made a very important decision to deploy a mission in the border areas of Armenia. There is hope that their presence will prevent any attacks by Azerbaijan on Armenia in the future. A civilian mission had been deployed on the Armenian side of the border last October-December. Can you talk a bit about France's involvement and contribution to this mission?”

“I firmly support this new mission with broader frameworks and scales. I am pleased that France will provide eight gendarmes to the mission. The mission will be operational from February 20, and I will be present in Armenia on that day. I welcome Armenia's support and collaboration with the mission. It will be our eyes and ears on the ground, and its presence should deter new attacks. I can only hope that Azerbaijan will cooperate in good faith with the mission.”