The European Parliament compared the exodus of Armenians from Karabakh to ethnic cleansing

MEPs call on the EU to impose sanctions against Baku, reduce dependence on Azerbaijani gas and immediately offer assistance to Armenia due to the influx of refugees

The European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning Azerbaijan for the “forceful takeover” of Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as calling on the EU to impose sanctions and reconsider relations with Baku. 491 deputies voted for the document, nine were against it, and another 36 abstained.

The resolution states that the EU Parliament strongly condemns Azerbaijan's "pre-planned and unjustified military attack on Nagorno-Karabakh", which, according to the authors of the document, constitutes a gross violation of international law and human rights.

“With more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians forced to flee the enclave following the latest offensive, MEPs say the current situation amounts to ethnic cleansing and strongly condemn the threats and violence committed by Azerbaijani forces against the Armenian residents of Nagorno-Karabakh,” the press service said in a statement. European Parliament.

European MPs are calling on Brussels to adopt sanctions against Azerbaijani officials who are responsible for “numerous violations of the ceasefire and human rights violations in Nagorno-Karabakh.”

The resolution also refers to statements by Baku that threaten the territorial integrity of Armenia, warns to refrain from “military adventures” and calls on Turkey to restrain its ally.

The EU should examine its relations with Azerbaijan, say European MPs, who name the suspension of the visa facilitation agreement as one of the potential measures.

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The parliament also calls on the European Union to reduce its dependence on imports of Azerbaijani gas, and in the event of “military aggression or serious hybrid attacks against Armenia” to completely stop oil and gas imports from Azerbaijan.

Separately, MEPs call on the EU and member states to immediately offer all necessary assistance to Armenia to cope with the influx of refugees and the subsequent humanitarian crisis.

On September 19-20, Azerbaijan carried out an “anti-terrorist” operation in Nagorno-Karabakh, as a result of which the authorities of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) agreed to disarmament, the dissolution of the army, and later announced the cessation of the existence of the unrecognized state from January 1, 2024.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, in response to EU criticism of the operation, said that it was being carried out “against the backdrop of a number of large-scale military provocations and terrorist attacks by illegal armed groups of Armenia.”

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that the country’s armed forces have not been in Karabakh since 2020. During the Baku operation, he refused to take “rash actions” in Karabakh.

After the capitulation of the NKR authorities, the Armenian population began to leave Karabakh. Over 100 thousand people left the territory of the enclave and went to Armenia (in total, about 120 thousand lived in the region, NKR authorities said).