French Member of the European Parliament François-Xavier Bellamy believes that the European Union has a lot to gain from cooperation with Armenia and should strengthen ties with Armenia in various areas.
The Member of the European Parliament said this in an interview with an Armenpress correspondent in Brussels.
In the interview, Bellamy touched on his expectations for the first Armenia-EU summit to be held in Yerevan in May, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s speech at the European Parliament, Armenians held illegally in Baku, and other topics.
– Mr. Bellamy, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan gave an important speech at the plenary session of the European Parliament on the future of the country and its foreign policy. How do you comment on that message, and what do you think it reveals about Armenia’s strategic direction today?
– First of all, it was very important for us that the Prime Minister of Armenia came to the European Parliament, and even returned, because this is the second time that we have received him in the parliamentary session hall. This is also a clear geopolitical choice on the part of our institution, and I am very happy about it. We do not receive all heads of state and government.
We are honored to host those whom we consider our partners, because Europe has common interests and principles with them that must be defended. And in the case of Armenia and the Armenian people in particular, it is natural that the highest representative of the Republic of Armenia is hosted in the European Parliament.
And indeed, he gave an important speech about the current situation in the Caucasus, how Armenia is engaging in the peace process today, as well as the challenges that the country faces, which also concern Europe.
-Today, Armenia is trying to move forward in its relations with Europe, further strengthening them. In your opinion, what are the priority areas in which this cooperation really needs to be deepened?
-I firmly believe that we have much to gain from closer cooperation with Armenia. We saw this at its most difficult time, during the 2020 war and then during the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh. I was one of those who criticized European institutions for doing so little to work with the Armenian people to ensure their security and defend our common principles.
And I think this underlines the need to build this relationship in the long term and to ensure that it is mutually beneficial for both Europe and Armenia. I would point to a number of areas where work is essential. The first of these is, of course, security. I was very pleased that we managed to achieve the creation of a European border monitoring mission, which is already operating in Armenia today.
I was also one of the people who advocated for the extension of that mission. What we record is clear: since the operation of the mission, there have been no more incidents that we so often had to register with pain: attacks, aggressions, border clashes, and provocations, which, unfortunately, often resulted in casualties among Armenian soldiers or civilians.
I think the European mission has managed to maintain a certain level of stability. This was a significant issue. France is also starting to strengthen its security partnership with Armenia, and this is also developing within the framework of the European Peace Facility, which provides an opportunity to build a security partnership with Armenia through European institutions.
But we should not only work on security, we should do more. We must also work on strengthening our ties in the economic sphere. This is of fundamental importance to us. When I was in Armenia for the first time in 2020, I met entrepreneurs, young Armenian businessmen who were developing their activities and who told me how frustrated they were that they could not sufficiently access the European market.
For this, it was necessary to solve several very specific issues, for example, the issue of air connectivity. It is known that at that time Armenia was on the European aviation blacklist, but now exporting to Europe has become easier. In practical terms, it should already be easier. From a trade perspective, I think we still have a lot of work to do to facilitate connections.
And, of course, there is also the connection between societies. Armenian society should be able to connect more directly with the societies of European countries. Of course, there are already very strong ties between Armenia and, for example, France. But that connection must be kept alive. And for that, we need to do a lot of practical work, for example, on the issue of visas, which is a very important issue. I am only mentioning a few elements, but I think that these are the elements that should be priorities on the European agenda.
– You mentioned your struggle on certain issues, one of which, as we well know, also concerns the Armenian prisoners held in Baku, some of whom have been sentenced to life imprisonment, others to long-term imprisonment. The European Parliament has adopted several resolutions on this issue. What position should the European Union take on this situation, and what specific pressure measures could it use to achieve their release?
– This is a crucial issue for us, and we have repeatedly put forward resolutions in the European Parliament on this issue, related to Armenian political prisoners and prisoners of war. There is a huge injustice here. Some have been released, but others, as you mentioned, have been sentenced to very long terms.
And it is obvious that these sentences are not based on facts: they are acts of revenge and political intimidation. This is a way for the Aliyev regime, Azerbaijan to demonstrate its complete disregard for justice and the rule of law, but also its ability to harm those who oppose it. And I think we have a duty to confront that.
Our great tragedy, and I share this very clearly with you, is that a few years ago we were almost alone in the Parliament while advocating this issue. Today we have managed to form a majority. The Parliament now has a clear position, and the lobbyists who were effectively acting on behalf of Azerbaijan have now become much quieter.
But our tragedy is that the European Commission is not following us. And today this is still a matter of serious disappointment for me. The European Commission continues to implement a policy of denying reality in its approach to Azerbaijan.
We saw how Ms. Kallas traveled to Azerbaijan, as Ursula von der Leyen had done before, as if everything was normal, as if Azerbaijan could be treated as a reliable partner. This is absolutely unacceptable for us, and I think our duty today is to get out of this situation.
-The first Armenia-European Union summit is scheduled for May in Yerevan. What specific expectations should we have from that meeting, and what real progress can it bring to the partnership between Brussels and Yerevan, taking into account that the European Union is trying to demonstrate a largely similar approach to the countries of the South Caucasus, but perhaps giving some preference to more democratic countries?
-What we are showing today is that the European Parliament knows how to choose its priorities. This is the second time that we are receiving the Prime Minister of Armenia. We have not received high-ranking officials from Azerbaijan, and we will not put a sign of parity between these countries of the South Caucasus.
One defends democracy and shares that common heritage with us, which is why it is being targeted, while the other is one of the worst dictatorial regimes in the world today. We hope that one day Azerbaijan will be free from this oppressive autocracy. But at this point it is absolutely clear that we cannot, and this is the position of the Parliament, consider the Azerbaijani regime as a reliable partner in any way.
And therefore, it is really necessary that now the European Union, not only the Parliament but also the European institutions, take up this priority and do so in a clear way.
-Elections are scheduled in Armenia in June, and the European Union is following the process and will have observers. There is also support to combat cyberattacks and hybrid attacks. Some circles in Armenia believe that this is also an attempt to interfere in Armenia’s internal affairs, or perhaps just political support for the current government. What do you think about this?
-We, of course, communicate with the Armenian authorities, the Prime Minister of Armenia, as well as members of the Government and the Armenian Parliament. I want to note here again that my stance has always been very clear. I am a friend of Armenia and the Armenian people. I will never allow myself to express an opinion on the internal affairs of Armenia and the internal political situation of the country.
All we can do is simply support Armenia in protecting its territorial integrity, its sovereignty, and recognize that sovereignty also includes democracy. And we know very well today that our sovereignties, our democracies, are often subject to external interference. This is not a case specific to Armenia. It happened in France, and it happened in other countries of the European Union.
And the concern of Europe today, especially in the case of a country that is moving towards the European Union, is simply to ensure that that country can express itself freely, democratically, and truly sovereignly. Indeed, we are all glad to support Armenian democracy because it is proof that democracy is possible in this region.
Therefore, this electoral moment for us will, of course, be an important moment for the Armenian people and, I hope, a decisive moment for choosing their future.
-Thank you, Mr. Bellamy, thank you for the interview.
Thank you. Allow me to make one final point. Since we did not have the opportunity to speak on this topic, I would simply like to note that the situation of all those families in Nagorno-Karabakh who have been deprived of their homes, lands, and livelihoods is also of fundamental concern to us.
Europe must continue to work here too, to support them in a very concrete way, first of all by supporting their current lives, addressing their material needs, but also, and this is a fundamental topic for me, by working on a legal mechanism that will prepare the return of these families to their homes and their lands.
I think we all understand that, unfortunately, this will not happen tomorrow. And this tragedy is with me every day. But the fact is that it must end one day, and our duty, including to future generations, is to never consider that we have to accept the idea that “might makes right.”
The right of these people, the right of these refugees, is to continue to retain the prospect of returning home.