European Parliament voices pro- Armenian views on Karabakh conflict

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Plenary Session of the European Parliament held an urgent debate on Tuesday, April 12 on the situation in Nagorno Karabakh, Asbarez reports.

During the session, Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the Commission stressed that the status quo in the conflict leads nowhere, and that both, Armenia and Azerbaijan should work together to find a peaceful solution.

Mogherini also reiterated the EU’s support to the OSCE Minsk Group, which is the only internationally mandated body to work towards a peaceful solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

The overwhelming majority of Members of the European Parliament representing all political groups, stressed the fact that there can only be a peaceful solution to the conflict, and called on Azerbaijan to accept the OSCE Minsk Group proposals for an independent mechanism to investigate ceasefire violations.

Armenia has agreed to discuss the details of the mechanism which would enable to identify the initiator of the cease-fire violation and make it difficult for the sides to blame each other for initiating deadly attacks. Baku repeatedly rejects confidence-building measures proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group, including a system for investigating individual shooting incidents, including pulling snipers from front-line positions.

Member of European Parliament, Frank Engel of Luxembourg said, that the only solution is the recognition of the independence of Nagorno Karabakh, “because today Azerbaijan is the aggressor, and it was the aggressor 24 years ago, and continued to violate the ceasefire on a smaller scale, and Baku glorifies a convicted killer, Ramil Safarov and believes that all Armenians in the region must disappear.”

European Parliament member Eleni Theocharous of Cyprus, reiterated her support to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, stressing that the EU needs to put sanctions on the regime in Baku, and recognize the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh.

MEP Jaromír Stetina (EPP, Czech Republic) stressed the fact that Karabakh was handed over to Azerbaijan by the Bolsheviks, and not supporting the Armenians, means accepting the Soviet regime’s rulings.

All in all, during the debate the members of the European Parliament deplored the human loss of the last days, and called on Azerbaijan to accept the confidence building proposals of the OSCE Minsk Group for a peaceful solution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

The parties to the Karabakh conflict agreed on a bilateral cessation of fire along the contact line which came into force at midday, April 5.

Prior to that, on the night of April 1-2, Azerbaijani armed forces initiated overt offensive operations in the southern, southeastern and northeastern directions of the line of contact with Nagorno Karabakh.

The Armenian side has suffered 75 fatalities, 122 more were wounded.

As of April 5, the Azerbaijani side has lost 26 tanks and 4 infantry fighting vehicles, as well as 1 BM-21 Grad multipl e rocket launcher, 1 engineering vehicle, 2 military helicopters and 14 unmanned aerial vehicles. The Azerbaijani side has admitted the loss of 31 fighters, 1 helicopter and 1 unmanned drone, whereas the Armenian side's photo and video materials show dozens of killed Azerbaijani troops, 1 helicopter and 3 UAVs. Opposition media outlets, however, reported on the death of 95 Azerbaijani soldiers, stating that 39 more have been wounded. According to Karabakh authorities, 300 Azerbaijani soldiers were killed in clashes.

14 Karabakh tanks have been neutralized since April 2.