European Parliament goes on the warpath with Azerbaijan
Being blind to its own faults

ANALYTICS  14 March 2023 - 11:00

The European Parliament, which for some months now has been shaken by a multi-million dollar corruption scandal (Qatargate), is preparing to adopt in the coming days another slanderous resolution against Azerbaijan: one which openly favours the interests of Armenia, but is in full contradiction of international law. However, such anti-Azerbaijani documents, which have nothing to do with objectivity and realities of the day, began to pop up in the European Parliament in a feverish haste after Azerbaijan's victory in the war of 2020 and the resulting new balance of power in the region.

For example, a year ago (March 10, 2022) the European Parliament adopted an unsubstantiated, illogical resolution on the alleged destruction by Azerbaijan of the Armenian cultural heritage in Karabakh. The text was based on false information disseminated by Armenia and the Armenian lobby in the European Parliament, and blatantly ignored the reality of the 30-year period of occupation of Azerbaijani territories. In January of this year, the same EP adopted a resolution condemning Azerbaijan for alleged "aggression against Armenia" and "blocking" of the Lachin road, effectively putting into question the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan.

In all fairness, it should be noted that while European resolutions of a pro-Armenian nature are openly hostile towards Azerbaijan, they also hamper Baku's efforts to establish lasting peace and stability in the region. It is clear that this torpedoing of Baku's aspirations is one of the main objectives of official Yerevan, and the European Parliament bluntly follows this goal without looking and understanding. In other words, the practice of the previous 30 years is being used again, when European bodies could almost approve the occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia.

Why else would such an authoritative international body turn a blind eye to the ethnic cleansing of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis who were expelled from their homes, the destruction of Azerbaijani villages and towns, the destruction and looting of Azerbaijan's cultural and historical heritage during Armenia's nearly 30-year occupation of Azerbaijani territories? Why does this very legislative body of the EU ignore Yerevan's mine terror against Azerbaijani citizens even today and does not adopt targeted documents against Armenia? Why does the EP remain blind to the death of nearly 300 Azerbaijanis killed by mines planted by Armenians after the war in 2020? Why is this European organisation quietly observing Armenia's current military provocations in Karabakh and not even trying to urge Yerevan to withdraw the remnants of Armenian gangs from the region?

Baku has the right to demand explanations from the EP on all these and many other issues, as well as to strongly condemn the resolutions adopted to justify Armenia's destructive policy. By the way, in its time, the same European Parliament even opposed the implementation of the Southern Gas Corridor project, the importance of which for the energy security of Europe itself became very clear after a while. This project significantly raised the importance of our country in the region, firmly entrenching Baku's status as a guarantor of European energy security. This fact alone proves that the European Parliament's lopsided attitude towards Azerbaijan runs counter to the policy of the European Union, which considers our country its main strategic partner in the South Caucasus. As an argument for Azerbaijan's importance to Europe, we may also refer to the Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Energy Cooperation between Azerbaijan and the European Union, signed in July 2022. The document was signed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

As the Azerbaijani leader noted, the memorandum is a roadmap for the future and an indication that Azerbaijan and the European Union are working towards a new agreement. Given Brussels' readiness for closer cooperation with Azerbaijan in trade and energy, as well as EU Council President Charles Michel's mediation efforts in Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations for stability and security in the South Caucasus, the European Parliament's policy towards Baku looks extremely destructive and cynical. It is clear that Armenia is not able to influence the position of the European Union, no matter how powerful and influential its lobby is abroad. First, Azerbaijan's relationship with the EU is a completely different and higher level of interaction. Secondly, Azerbaijan has a serious image not only in regional politics but also in the system of international coordinates, which is acknowledged in Brussels and Washington. As for the European Parliament's attacks on Baku, even if they express support for Armenia's interests, they cannot influence Europe's strategic position on Azerbaijan in any way.

Caliber.Az