(MENAFN- AzerNews) As it is well-known, the Azerbaijani side on numerous occasionshas clearly expressed its position on certain approaches andactions towards our region by the European Union, and some of itsmember states in particular, Azernews reports,referring to the statement of the Azerbaijani Ministry of ForeignAffairs on a joint EU-Armenia-US conference scheduled for April 5,2024, in Brussels.
The statement reads:
"The fact is that the ongoing peace process between Azerbaijanand Armenia was initiated by the Azerbaijani side, where it hasalways demonstrated a constructive stance on all issues of thepost-conflict normalization. Moreover, during the Praguequadrilateral meeting of 6 October 2022, the Azerbaijani side wasasked to give its consent on the deployment of a short-term EUMonitoring Capacity (EUMCAP) comprising 40 EU civilian monitoringexperts along the Armenian side of the undelimited border, whichwas supposed to contribute to confidence-building betweenAzerbaijan and Armenia.
Unfortunately, after original two months term, withoutAzerbaijan's agreement, the EUMCAP was transformed into the EUMission in Armenia (EUMA), with significant term extension and muchlarger number of monitors. The Mission has since been activelyexploited as an anti-Azerbaijani propaganda tool. Additionally,with Canada joining the EUMA, it resembles a de facto NATOmission. This has also been accompanied by the statements callingthe EUMA a deterrence force, and creating an illusion of a possibleintervention by Azerbaijan, which has no ground whatsoever.
Thus, the EU was urged to take all necessary measures with aview to ensuring that the EUMA acts strictly as a neutral, civilianand unarmed mission, in line with its declared mandate, andrefrains from any activity targeting Azerbaijan's sovereignty andterritorial integrity, or affects its legitimate security interestsin any other manner.
Another matter for concern is a France-led campaign aimed atmilitarizing Armenia, which also includes new pledges of largermilitary supplies (including lethal and offensive types ofweapons). Another EU member state, Greece, has recently madestatements on deepening of military cooperation with Armenia, plans of provision of a military assistance toArmenia under the European Peace Facility and reports that theApril 5th meeting envisages military components cause furtherconcerns and undermine peace-building efforts in the region.
Interestingly, being a victim of an armed aggression, occupationand ethnic cleansing for almost 30 years, and even with four UNSecurity Council resolutions demanding immediate, complete andunconditional withdrawal of the Armenian occupying forces,Azerbaijan has never received this kind of unconditional supportfrom the EU and US."
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