MEPs condemn forced displacement of Armenians from Artsakh at Armenian Genocide commemoration session
On April 3, the European Parliament held a plenary session commemorating the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, paying serious attention to the forced displacement of ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) reports.
Numerous Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) drew stark parallels between the historical tragedy and the recent forced displacement of ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, highlighting the dangerous consequences of Turkey’s and Azerbaijan’s failure to take over historical responsibility.
“Recognition and reconciliation need courage to confront the past and build a future on historical truth. Most important today, with hundreds of thousands displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh because of atrocities committed by Azerbaijan,” EPP member Miriam Lexmann noted.
Yannis Maniatis, from the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, recalled his family’s tragic experience in the Ottoman Empire.
“This is a painful reminder that without memory and recognition, the past will repeat itself,” Maniatis noted.
Another MEP, Nicolas Bay, criticized the policies of Turkey and Azerbaijan, noting that Turkey has been trying to annex Armenian lands for 110 years. He also called on the EU to increase pressure on Turkey to acknowledge its past crimes.
Greens member Marketa Gregorova noted that the EU cannot continue to close its eyes when it is convenient for it.
“Let us support Armenia, the last remaining democracy in the region,” Gregorova stated.
MEPs also strongly criticized the EU’s continued cooperation with Azerbaijan, especially in the context of gas supplies and the maintenance of the memorandum of understanding signed with Baku.
“Genocide denial must not be tolerated. It is directly related to the injustices and violence of our time,” Marie Toussaint said, adding that history is repeating itself, this time in different ways, but with the same impunity.
The European Armenian Federation has expressed its gratitude to the European parliamentarians who have honored the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide and at the same time raised the question of protecting the rights of Armenians forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh. The organization’s president, Gaspar Karapetyan, criticized the EU executive for not using the term “genocide” and not showing due respect.
During the session, European lawmakers reaffirmed that the ethnic cleansing that took place in Nagorno-Karabakh is unacceptable, and called on the EU to adopt a principled foreign policy that puts human rights and international law above economic interests.
