EAFJD strongly condemns Charles Michel’s endorsement of using Aghdam as alternative to Lachin corridor

The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy
strongly condemns Charles Michel’s endorsement of using Aghdam as an
alternative to the Lachin corridor. This is said in the statement of the
Armenian National Committee – International (ANC – International).

“President Michel’s approach, which equates the issue of
delivering “humanitarian supplies” from Aghdam to Artsakh with the crucial
matter of opening the Lachin corridor, is fundamentally erroneous. As EU
citizens, we condemn President Michel’s support for Azerbaijan’s agenda of
using Aghdam to provide so-called “humanitarian assistance” to the same
Armenian population, which has been subjected to starvation, terror, and
blockade by Azerbaijan for more than seven months now. In fact, Azerbaijan has
been gradually tightening the lethal circle around the indigenous Armenian
population of Nagorno-Karabakh, pushing them further into despair,” reads the
statement.

It is mentioned in the statement that by expressing EU’s
support for Azerbaijan’s agenda, the President of the EU Council not only legitimizes
the ethnic cleansing policy of an authoritarian regime, but also goes against
the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of the United Nations,
which ordered Azerbaijan to immediately lift the blockade of the Lachin
corridor. These press remarks also undermine the resolution adopted by the
European Parliament in March 2023, which calls on the EU Council to impose
sanctions on Azerbaijani government officials if Azerbaijan fails to promptly
implement the February 22 ICJ’s order. This approach by the EU leadership
allows Baku to avoid pressure to unblock the Lachin corridor.