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Akbar Novruz

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The Milli Majlis (Parliament of Azerbaijan) has expressed its reaction to the statement of the European Union (EU)-Armenia Parliamentary Partnership Committee.

According to the Milli Majlis, it strongly condemns the statement issued by the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Partnership Committee on February 25, considering it another example of the smear campaign waged by the European Parliament and Armenia against Azerbaijan.

Azernews presents the statement:

"This statement, adopted on the eve of the anniversary of the Khojaly genocide committed by Armenia against the Azerbaijani people, and the baseless accusations directed at Azerbaijan, once again reveal the true nature of both Armenia and the European Parliament.

As a result, this statement further demonstrates Armenia’s insincerity in its negotiations with Azerbaijan. The fact that the Armenian parliament, including representatives of the ruling party participating in the Committee’s work, supported the joint statement—despite its contradiction to Armenia’s own leadership’s statements on recognizing Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as normalizing relations—clearly reflects this duplicity.

On the other hand, this statement is yet another manifestation of the deep-seated hostility towards Azerbaijan within the European Parliament.

We remind those who persistently attempt to portray Armenia as a victim that Armenia has been fostering a fascist ideology for decades. This ideology has fueled its 30-year-long aggression against Azerbaijan. During the occupation, Armenia committed grave crimes, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, and acts of genocide. It carried out ethnic cleansing, displacing nearly one million Azerbaijanis from their ancestral lands, including Zangazur, Daralayaz, and Goycha. Additionally, Armenia devastated 20 per cent of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territories, inflicted billions of dollars in material damage, and systematically destroyed Azerbaijan’s cultural heritage in the occupied regions and within Armenia itself.

Despite changes in its leadership, Armenia has taken no steps to investigate these war crimes. Over decades, not a single Armenian has been held accountable for the serious crimes committed against innocent Azerbaijanis. The current Armenian government, which falsely presents itself as a defender of democracy and human rights, continues this impunity.

Despite numerous international documents, including four UN Security Council resolutions on the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, neither the EU nor its parliamentary structures have ever called for sanctions against Armenia. By failing to do so, they effectively encouraged the continued illegal occupation of Azerbaijani lands, exposing the deeply rooted Azerbaijaniophobic tendencies among European parliamentarians who now advocate for sanctions against Azerbaijan.

Another concerning aspect is the European Parliament’s silence on Armenia’s decades-long contamination of Azerbaijani territories with landmines and its reluctance to cooperate in addressing the consequences of this policy. It appears that European parliamentarians fail to grasp that innocent lives continue to be lost due to these mines, which also hinder Azerbaijan’s reconstruction efforts, carried out entirely at its own expense.

Similarly, the European Parliament remains indifferent to the fate of 4,000 Azerbaijanis who went missing during the conflict. The mass graves found in the liberated territories serve as undeniable evidence of the inhumane acts committed by Armenia.

While the European Parliament frequently discusses human rights, including the right to return, it conveniently ignores the plight of approximately 250,000 Azerbaijani refugees forcibly expelled from present-day Armenia in the late 1980s. A fair and just approach would require the European Parliament to urge Armenia to create conditions for these people to return to their ancestral lands. However, both Armenia and the European Parliament refuse to address this issue, despite its potential to build trust between the two nations. Such a stance runs contrary to the liberal values the EU claims to uphold.

Azerbaijan’s concerns regarding Armenia’s Constitution and other legal documents are legitimate and justified. The Armenian Constitution still contains territorial claims against Azerbaijan, raising serious doubts about the legitimacy of any international agreement contradicting its supreme law. In this context, Azerbaijan’s demand for constitutional amendments in Armenia is neither maximalist nor solely an internal Armenian matter. Full and unequivocal recognition of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity by Armenia is a necessity.

Regarding the EU Mission to Armenia (EUMA), it should be noted that this mission was established in contradiction to assurances given to Azerbaijan. Rather than strengthening regional stability and trust, EUMA has become a tool for spreading hostility and fueling Azerbaijaniophobia. It has openly demonstrated bias against Azerbaijan and has been used to spread disinformation. Unfortunately, EUMA’s activities continue to embolden Armenia while discouraging genuine efforts to normalize relations. Such actions risk further escalating tensions along the border.

The EU’s decision to provide military assistance to Armenia through the European Peace Facility and other programs—despite Armenia’s 30-year occupation of Azerbaijani lands—is deeply troubling. This has nothing to do with promoting peace and stability but rather serves to destabilize the region and fuel an arms race.

Given the above, the claims made in the statement regarding the EU’s role in Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization efforts are unfounded. The EU has lost credibility in this process due to the actions of its institutions and certain member states. The European Parliament, in particular, has played an active role in this deterioration and thus has no moral ground to express regret over its diminished influence.

In light of all this, the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan categorically rejects the biased and one-sided statement of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Partnership Committee, which distorts historical facts and unjustly targets Azerbaijan. Such steps only deepen divisions and undermine efforts for peace and reconciliation. If the European Parliament genuinely seeks stability in the South Caucasus, it must adopt a balanced and fair approach—one that acknowledges past injustices and does not encourage Armenia’s revanchist policies and militarization attempts."