Where has our organization been when a member State, Azerbaijan, unleashed a war against the Artsakh Republic. Armen Gevorgyan (video)
Support A1+!Armen GEVORGYAN
Dear Colleagues,
Following the debate these days I cannot but ask myself where has our organisation been when a member State, Azerbaijan, unleashed a war against the Artsakh Republic, Nagorno-Karabakh, and let her occupy the sovereign territories of another member State, Armenia.
Let everyone be reminded that in September 2020, Azerbaijan started a war to deprive the Armenian people of their right to live on their own historical lands. Turkish combat drones were used to kill thousands of people, to destroy hospitals, schools, and residential houses. Just imagine the disappointment of those ordinary Europeans in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia when they fail to see any sanctions imposed by the Council of Europe.
Do my fellow colleagues in the Council of Europe know about the humanitarian catastrophe in Nagorno-Karabakh unfolding these days?
For more than a week, the population there has been deprived of the natural gas supply and electricity. Residential areas are under constant shelling. Moreover, the Azerbaijani government has been using loudspeakers to demand native residents leave their homes or face real consequences. All these are evidences of ethnic cleansing and a deep violation of the most basic norms of international law.
But will our organisation be able to prevent a new tragedy in Nagorno-Karabakh? These doubts arise from the fact that prior resolutions adopted in this Chamber have de facto legitimised the results of the war unleashed by Azerbaijan, by having artificially laid blame on both sides of the conflict.
As a representative of Armenia, I understand perfectly clearly the tragedy of any war. I am indeed calling for peace in Ukraine as soon as possible.
As much as it is painful for us, Armenians, to follow the continuing disaster in Ukraine, it is equally unacceptable for us to take note of the selective approaches on display by the international organisations. The importance of safeguarding peace and fundamental human rights cannot be any different for big and small states. There are no good or bad wars. I really hope that for us, the suffering of the Armenian, Ukrainian, and other children in Europe, does not have any geopolitical origin. We have to reflect why there are so often wars being unleashed in Europe.
Therefore, not to lose our historical mission, we should reflect as to why following the fall of the Soviet Union we have not been able to build a more conflict-free, united, and inclusive European family of nations.
Thank you for your attention.
