International Courant
BRUSSELS – Armenia on Monday urged the European Union to sanction Azerbaijan for its navy operation within the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, warning that Baku might quickly assault Armenia itself until the West takes sturdy motion.
Tigran Balayan, Armenia’s envoy to the EU, listed doable measures similar to a value ceiling for Azerbaijani oil and fuel and the suspension of EU talks on nearer ties with Baku. He additionally urged the West to supply Armenia with “daring” safety help.
“It isn’t solely the opinion of the Armenian authorities, but additionally of many consultants – together with some EU member states – that an assault on Armenia is imminent,” Balayan instructed Reuters in an interview in Brussels.
Azerbaijani forces took management of Nagorno-Karabakh, an enclave of their territory populated by ethnic Armenians, in a lightning operation final month, triggering an exodus of greater than 100,000 Armenians in lower than per week.
Armenia has accused Azerbaijan of ethnic cleaning – a cost denied by Baku, which insisted Armenians from the enclave had been welcome to stay within the space. Baku has additionally insisted that it has no intention of attacking Armenia itself.
However Balayan stated Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s assurances couldn’t be trusted, noting that European officers have stated he has damaged guarantees to not assault Nagorno-Karabakh.
He stated the EU has many instruments at its disposal to place strain on Aliyev – and that Nagorno-Karabakh has paid a excessive value for not utilizing any of them thus far.
“The failure to make use of this toolbox resulted within the ethnic cleaning of 100,000 to 120,000 of the indigenous Armenian inhabitants, together with my family, from their ancestral lands,” stated Balayan, Armenia’s ambassador-designate to the EU.
Senior EU officers and leaders of most of the bloc’s member states have condemned Azerbaijan’s actions. However the EU has thus far taken few concrete measures in response to the disaster, aside from mobilizing humanitarian assist.
Diplomats say EU members are struggling to discover a consensus. Some, like France and the Netherlands, are keen to at the very least take into account powerful measures, whereas others like Hungary and Romania are reluctant, they are saying.
The EU’s seek for a solution has been sophisticated by its makes an attempt to extend its reliance on Azerbaijani oil and fuel because the EU has turned away from Russian power following Moscow’s struggle in Ukraine.
European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen visited Aliyev in Baku final 12 months to signal a Memorandum of Understanding on power, declaring Azerbaijan a “essential accomplice”.
However Balayan emphasised that the EU has an actual affect on the power sector as a result of Baku is extremely depending on European international locations as a buyer.
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He stated a gathering anticipated this week at a summit in Granada, Spain, between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Aliyev, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Council President Charles Michel would solely outcomes if the EU had been to take powerful motion. with Aliyev.
“Until sure crimson strains are set for Aliyev personally for not protecting his phrase… it will likely be in useless once more,” he stated.
Balayan expressed fears that Azerbaijan would use drive to ascertain a land hall by Armenian territory to the Nakhchivan exclave, which might additionally present a hyperlink with Baku’s ally Turkey.
Azerbaijan final week insisted it had no intention of taking such motion.
However Balayan stated Azerbaijan’s navy targets might prolong even past Nakhchivan, noting that Aliyev had made feedback claiming that Armenian territory was once a part of Azerbaijan.
He stated Armenia has been put in danger when it comes to safety as a result of its conventional ally Russia has not delivered a whole bunch of tens of millions of {dollars} in arms orders.
“We’re in a really weak place,” he stated.
Balayan declined to specify what sort of safety help Aremenia wished, saying this was a matter for technical consultants. REUTERS
Armenia urges the EU to sanction Azerbaijan and warns of additional assaults
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