Debate on Specific Ways to Connect Nakhchivan to Azerbaijan: Charles Michel

The rights and security of the people of Artsakh must be guaranteed within the framework of the Constitution of Azerbaijan. In an interview with "Azatutyun," the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, stated that the European Union continues negotiations with the leadership of Baku on this issue.

“We believe that ethnic Armenians should have the right to return or at least be able to visit this part of Azerbaijan, and their security and rights must be guaranteed. There are international standards for the protection of minorities that must be respected in accordance with the Constitution of Azerbaijan, within which these minority rights must be ensured,” Michel said.

“The Armenian side insisted that following the second Nagorno-Karabakh war, international guarantees of security and rights must be provided to the Armenians of Artsakh. Is there a reference to this issue in the peace agreement, or has it lost urgency after the depopulation of Artsakh?” In response to the media's question, Michel refrained from going into details but emphasized that the guarantor should be the authorities of Azerbaijan.

“We are in close contact with the President of Azerbaijan on this issue to raise awareness and try to convince the Azerbaijani authorities to show that they want to protect minorities and ensure that international standards are upheld. This is the political debate we have, and I sincerely hope that we can make progress on this priority issue for the EU,” Michel noted.

For two years, since December 2021, the President of the European Council has been organizing meetings between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, during which they have adopted several joint statements to regulate relations.

As a mediator and a direct participant in these meetings, Michel said that the main focus of the negotiations is primarily the regulation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“A peace treaty is necessary between Armenia and Azerbaijan to structure the normalization of their relations. This peace treaty should be based on the delimitation process; this peace agreement can also serve as a good framework that we can use as a tool to improve communication in the region, which is also beneficial for the economic development of other countries in the region, including Georgia,” said the President of the European Council.

Official Yerevan has emphasized throughout these negotiations that it is important not only to have a document but also to implement it. “We say that we need guarantors, considering, for instance, states, international organizations, international mechanisms, and that is our position. But in the negotiation process, we should also not exclude a situation where a proposal is made that will resolve the issue in substance while being different in form,” Prime Minister Pashinyan stated months ago.

“Will the peace treaty have a specific guarantor to monitor the implementation of agreed arrangements?” Michel did not respond directly to this media question.

“In fact, the international community, including the EU, is observing what is happening in this part of the world,” he said, without naming any guarantor. The Armenian Prime Minister has not ruled out that the document might have not a specific guarantor but rather a mechanism of guarantees. However, the details of this remain undisclosed.

As for where it might be signed—whether as a result of direct dialogue between the parties or under the auspices of the European Union and the United States—Michel responded that it is not the location that matters, but the content.

“The fact that it became possible a few days ago to issue a joint statement between Armenia and Azerbaijan is partly thanks to our assistance. We encourage them, and we also work on organizing a meeting that could take place in Brussels. But the important thing, in our opinion, is more about the result than the location of the meeting, because for the people living in Armenia and Azerbaijan, and for us, peace, security, and prosperity are paramount,” Michel stated.

In recent months, warnings have been continuously issued by the West to Azerbaijan regarding the respect for the territorial integrity of Armenia. Both Washington and Brussels have publicly stated that they will not tolerate this.

“What is the basis for this concern?” In response, Michel stated that although the President of Azerbaijan has declared that he has no territorial claims against Armenia, there are disagreements regarding the opening of communication routes. “In fact, if we are to be precise, there is a debate on specific ways to connect Nakhchivan to Azerbaijan, ensuring that they respect Armenia's sovereignty and legislation,” Michel said.

Despite the West's efforts to promote peace in the region, the negotiations conducted under the auspices of the EU and Washington have stalled in the past month. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has rejected three consecutive meetings for various reasons.

“Do you not get the impression that the Azerbaijani side is stalling the process and misleading you?” Michel responded to the media's question by stating that Brussels remains optimistic and “continues attempts to organize new meetings.” However, Baku has not yet given consent for a high-level meeting.