European Council President Charles Michel says dialogue and diplomacy are wanted to resolve the disaster.
The European Union has invited the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia to renew peace talks after Azerbaijan’s lightning army offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh final month, which prompted the flight of tens of 1000’s of ethnic Armenians.
At a gathering of European leaders within the Spanish metropolis of Granada on Thursday, European Council President Charles Michel mentioned he had invited Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to a gathering in Brussels this month.
“We imagine in diplomacy. We imagine in political dialogue,” Michel instructed reporters on the summit of the European Political Group, a discussion board involving greater than 40 nations.
Aliyev declined to attend the summit in Granada, the place European leaders had hoped Armenia and Azerbaijan may work to resolve tensions and attain an settlement on Nagorno-Karabakh.
On the summit, leaders additionally pledged help to Armenia, which is combating the fallout from final month’s Azerbaijani army operation to take management of the enclave, primarily populated by ethnic Armenians.
Many EU leaders have condemned the Azerbaijani operation and a few governments have known as on the bloc to contemplate robust measures in opposition to Baku, which has urged professional motion to regain management of a part of its sovereign territory.
Tens of 1000’s of ethnic Armenian residents have fled Nagorno-Karabakh to neighboring Armenia since Armenian separatists had been pressured right into a ceasefire on September 20 following a 24-hour army operation by the a lot bigger Azerbaijani military.
The European Parliament adopted a decision on Thursday accusing Baku of “ethnic cleaning”.
Many European leaders have expressed concern in regards to the humanitarian state of affairs in Nagorno-Karabakh, and Michel, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed their “unwavering help” for Armenia’s territorial integrity after a gathering with Pashinyan on Thursday.
Nonetheless, there seems to be no consensus amongst European leaders on attainable sanctions on Azerbaijan, a significant supply of oil and pure fuel for the EU and an ally of the USA. France’s Macron mentioned that whereas Azerbaijan “appeared to have an issue with worldwide regulation,” steps corresponding to sanctions wouldn’t be productive.
Leaders on the summit agreed to spice up assist to Armenia, with European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen saying the EU will present $5.53 million in emergency assist on high of an identical quantity beforehand introduced .
