14:28, 5 October 2023

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Germany insists that the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan around Nagorno-Karabakh should be resolved through diplomacy, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said during a phone call with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Scholz said that Germany rejects military violence.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the basis for sustainable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan shall be the preservation of the principle of territorial integrity, the German government said in the readout of the call.

Scholz emphasized that Germany fully supports European Council President Charles Michel’s efforts aimed at the peaceful resolution in NK.

Chancellor Scholz also described the October 1 UN mission to NK as a “positive step that should be used for further work in that direction.”

The UN mission was  in Armenia.

 14:36, 5 October 2023

BRUSSELS, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. The European Parliament has adopted a resolution on condemning Azerbaijan’s military aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh, calling on the EU to sanction Azeri officials responsible for the ceasefire violation in NK which led to numerous human rights violations.

The resolution was adopted on October 5 with 491 votes in favor, 9 against and 36 abstentions.

Condemning Azerbaijan’s violent seizure of Nagorno-Karabakh, the MEPs call for sanctions against those responsible and for the EU to review its relations with Baku.

In the resolution the European Parliament strongly condemns Azerbaijan’s pre-planned and unjustified military attack against Nagorno-Karabakh on 19 September, which MEPs say constitutes a gross violation of international law and human rights and a clear infringement of previous attempts to achieve a ceasefire. With over 100,000 ethnic Armenians having been forced to flee NK since the latest offensive, MEPs say the current situation amounts to ethnic cleansing and strongly condemn threats and violence committed by Azerbaijani troops against the Armenian inhabitants of Nagorno-Karabakh.

They also call on the EU and member states to immediately offer all necessary assistance to Armenia to deal with the influx of refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh and the subsequent humanitarian crisis.

MEPs want to see Azeri officials sanctioned

Appalled by Azerbaijan’s latest attack, Parliament calls on the EU to adopt targeted sanctions against the government officials in Baku responsible for multiple ceasefire violations and human rights abuses in Nagorno-Karabakh. While reminding the Azeri side that it bears full responsibility for ensuring the safety and well-being of all people in the enclave, MEPs demand investigations into abuses committed by Azerbaijani troops that may constitute war crimes.

Expressing serious concern over irredentist and inflammatory statements by Azerbaijani president llham Aliyev and other Azeri officials threatening the territorial integrity of Armenia, MEPs warn Baku against any potential military adventurism and call on Türkiye to restrain its ally.

The EU must reassess its relations with Azerbaijan

Parliament calls on the EU to undertake a comprehensive review of its relations with Baku. To develop a strategic partnership with a country like Azerbaijan, which blatantly violates international law and international commitments, and has an alarming human rights record, is incompatible with the objectives of EU foreign policy, MEPs say. They urge the EU to suspend any negotiations on a renewed partnership with Baku, and should the situation not improve, consider suspending the application of the EU visa facilitation agreement with Azerbaijan.

Parliament also calls on the EU to reduce its dependency on Azeri gas imports and, in the event of military aggression or significant hybrid attacks against Armenia, for a full EU import stop of Azeri oil and gas.

 15:21, 5 October 2023

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has said he hopes to organize Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations in Brussels, Interfax reports.

“Hopefully, a meeting between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be organized in Brussels. This must be done to make sure the conflict does not expand. It is also necessary to achieve political stabilization in Armenia,” EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell told reporters in Granada, Spain.

He regretted that the leaders of Azerbaijan and Turkey did not take part in the European Political Community summit in Granada.

“I regret that Azerbaijan isn’t here, I regret that Turkey, the main supporter of Azerbaijan, is also not here. Therefore, we can’t speak here about something as serious as the fact that over 100,000 people were forced to leave their homes,” Borrell said, referring to the forced displacement of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh after the Azeri attack. 

The EU condemns the use of military force to resolve conflicts, he added.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev were supposed to hold EU-mediated peace talks in Granada on October 5, but the Azeri leader cancelled his participation on October 4.

 15:28, 5 October 2023

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. The EU will provide more than €25 million to Armenia after Azerbaijan’s attack in Nagorno-Karabakh, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has said.

“We’ve allocated 5,2 million euros. And today I will tell the Armenian Prime Minister that we are ready to nearly double this amount to 10,2 million, and that we are providing an additional 15 million euros in assistance to Armenia’s budget,” TASS news agency quoted Ursula von der Leyen as saying in Granada, Spain ahead of the European Political Community summit. Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan is also in attendance at the summit. He was supposed to have peace talks with Azeri president Aliyev there but the latter pulled out a day before the planned meeting.

Ursula von der Leyen said she will meet PM Pashinyan in Granada and discuss support to Armenia.

“Of course, Armenia will have a role in today’s discussions. I will have a bilateral meeting with the Armenian Prime Minister. We are resolutely supporting Armenia, we have supported its humanitarian needs. We will discuss what else we can do for Armenia in this difficult situation,” the President of the European Commission told reporters ahead of the meeting.

She said that the EU has strongly condemned Azerbaijan’s military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh and is working to restore dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan and achieve a peace treaty.

 15:54, 5 October 2023

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. President of the European Council Charles Michel has said that during his latest phone call with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev he demanded the latter to guarantee a mutual recognition of territorial integrity between Baku and Yerevan and told Aliyev that he ‘can’t have territorial demands towards Armenia,’ TASS reports.

“I spoke with President Aliyev two days ago and I clearly told him that he can’t have territorial demands towards Armenia,” TASS quoted Michel as saying in Granada ahead of the European Political Community summit. “This must be said out loud, and it must be guaranteed that it exists [mutual recognition of territorial integrity between Armenia and Azerbaijan],’ Michel said.

“I am not going to publicly comment on Aliyev’s decision not to come to Granada, I will personally tell him what I think about that,” he added.

Charles Michel said that the EU mediation between Armenia and Azerbaijan is aimed at protecting the EU’s interests and advancing European values in the Caucasus.

“We weren’t particularly active in the Caucasus until we started this mediation. These mediation efforts by the EU mean that we are protecting our interest, we are advancing our values in this region,” Michel said.

 16:25, 5 October 2023

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola has invited Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to deliver a speech at the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, TASS reports.

“I met Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan today in Granada and I invited him to deliver a speech at the plenary session of the European Parliament,” TASS quoted Metsola as saying ahead of the European Political Community summit.

She did not specify the timeframe of Pashinyan’s expected visit to the European Parliament but said it would take place in a few weeks.

Metsola said that Armenia is in need of EU support.

“Armenia needs our support and help to overcome the current humanitarian crisis which was caused because thousands of people left Nagorno-Karabakh,” the President of the European Parliament said.

 16:48, 5 October 2023

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani military has once again targeted an Armenian food supply vehicle en route to a border outpost, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said Thursday.

“On October 5, at around 1:50 p.m., armed forces units of Azerbaijan discharged fire at a vehicle transporting provisions for the personnel stationed at Armenian combat outposts near Norabak (Gegharkunik Province). There are no casualties,” the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

 

 17:01, 5 October 2023

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and President of the European Council Charles Michel will hold a meeting in Granada despite Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev cancelling his participation, TASS reported citing a European official.

The leaders will discuss the current situation and EU’s steps in the direction of further work for normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as practical steps to advance and strengthen the EU-Armenia agenda.

 19:04, 5 October 2023

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. A quadrilateral meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Council President Charles Michel is underway in Granada.

As “Armenpress” reports, the Prime Minister of Armenia has posted a video.

[see video]

 20:11, 5 October 2023

A quadrilateral meeting of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Council President Charles Michel took place in Granada within the framework of the third meeting of the European Political Community.

Based on the results of the meeting, a joint statement was adopted, which particularly reads as follows,

“The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, and the Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz met in Granada with Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Armenia.

The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, and the Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz underlined their unwavering support to the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of the borders of Armenia.

They also expressed their support to the strengthening of EU-Armenia relations, in all its dimensions, based on the needs of the Republic of Armenia.

They agreed on the need to provide additional humanitarian assistance to Armenia as it faces the consequences of the recent mass displacement of Karabakh Armenians. They stressed that these refugees must be free to exercise their right to return to their homes and their places of living, without any conditions, with international monitoring, and with due respect for their history, culture and for human rights.

They remain committed to all efforts directed towards the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, based on mutual recognition of sovereignty, inviolability of borders and territorial integrity of Armenia (29.800 km2) and Azerbaijan (86.600 km2), as mentioned in President Michel’s statements of 14 May and 15 July 2023. They called for the strict adherence to the principle of non-use of force and threat of use of force. They stressed the urgent need to work towards border delimitation based on the most recent USSR General Staff maps that have been provided to the sides, which should also be a basis for distancing of forces, and for finalizing the peace treaty and addressing all humanitarian issues.

They called for greater regional cooperation and for the re-opening of all borders, including the border between Armenia and Türkiye, as well as for the opening of regional connectivity links based on full respect of countries’ sovereignty and jurisdiction, as well as on the principles of equality and reciprocity.

The European leaders called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to release all detainees, and to cooperate to address the fate of missing persons and to facilitate demining work”.