EU Calls on Azerbaijan to Return to Borders Prior to September 12, Dutch Foreign Minister

The EU calls on Azerbaijan to return to the borders established before September 12, 2022. This statement was made by the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wopke Hoekstra. He also emphasized the fact of Azerbaijan's occupation of Armenian territory, reported the Federation of Armenian Organizations in the Netherlands.

In response to questions from several parliamentary factions regarding the meeting between the leaders of the Netherlands and Azerbaijan in Davos, Wopke Hoekstra informed that the January meeting between Prime Minister Rutte and President Aliyev was initiated by the Dutch side to convey concerns following the blockade of the Lachin corridor. During this meeting, the Dutch Prime Minister stressed that the civilian population of Nagorno-Karabakh should not become a victim of the political situation and highlighted the importance of unblocking the Lachin corridor in accordance with the 2020 trilateral agreement.

The Foreign Minister mentioned that the Netherlands is also actively working within the EU and the Council of Europe to unblock the Lachin corridor, noting that Azerbaijan is poorly fulfilling the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights.

Minister Wopke Hoekstra confirmed that Azerbaijan imports gas from Russia to fulfill its obligations to the European Union and emphasized that this issue will be raised by the European Commission.

Minister Hoekstra reiterated the occupation of Armenian territory by Azerbaijan, emphasizing that the EU calls on Azerbaijan to return to the borders prior to September 12, 2022. In his responses, the minister also addressed the issue of Armenian prisoners of war unlawfully held in Azerbaijan, assuring that the need for their repatriation is consistently raised in negotiations with Azerbaijani officials.