YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. Vice-President of the European Parliament, Fabio Massimo Castaldo urged the European Union to condemn the Azerbaijani aggression against Artsakh.
The Armenian parliamentary standing committee on European Affairs published the statement of the EP Vice-President on its Facebook account.
“I strongly condemn the ongoing violence, and in particular the military operations carried out by the Azerbaijani forces in Nagorno Karabakh. The unacceptable use of military aggression, which led to numerous casualties and injuries even among civilians, totally distorts the possibility of resuming the peace process. This is a gross violation of international law and the dialogue carried out so far within the OSCE. We call on all engaged sites to immediately move back, this military escalation can destabilize the entire region. I am deeply convinced that the EU should raise its voice strongly, by also assessing the possibility of applying sanctions, in case of refusal from the demand to stop the fighting”, the EP Vice-President said.
He stated that together with his colleagues of different EU states he has signed a letter addressed to the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, requesting to make all efforts to immediately cease the fire and launch mandatory mechanisms for possible ceasefire violations as the only mean to restore the necessary trust for the effective dialogue process.
“The European values of pluralism and peace should prevail. Erdogan’s aggressive rhetoric and support to Baku should also be condemned: media sources report about participation of thousands of jihadists from Syria’s north mobilized by Turkey. If this report is confirmed, this intervention is both concerning and unacceptable. We urge all players of the region not to use this conflict as an occasion for expanding their spheres of influence”, the EP Vice-President stated.
On September 27 early morning the Azerbaijani military has launched a massive cross-border artillery attack on Artsakh, including on civilian settlements. Peaceful settlements are also under bombardment, including the capital city of Stepanakert.
84 servicemen were killed and nearly 120 were wounded in Artsakh from the Azerbaijani attack.
Armenia and Artsakh declared a martial law and mobilization.
According to the latest data, the Azerbaijani side has suffered nearly 400 human losses as a result of its aggression. The Artsakh side has destroyed a total of 6 Azerbaijani attacking helicopters, 50 UAVs, 85 armored equipment including tanks, 82 vehicles and 1 aircraft.
