No sanctions for Azerbaijan from EU – Joseph Borrel replies to pro-Armenian MEP

BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 31. The EU does not
consider sanctioning Azerbaijan because of the situation on the
Lachin-Khankendi road, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs
and Security Policy Josep Borrell said, answering a question of the
pro-Armenian MEP Asita Kanko, Trend reports.

A pro-Armenian MEP has sent a request to the Vice-President of
the Commission/To the Supreme Representative of the Union for
Foreign Affairs and Security Policy in connection with the
situation of the Lachin-Khankendi road on December 16, 2022. The
answer came just yesterday.

“Sanctions are only one of the EU’s tools to promote the
objectives of the Common Foreign and Security Policy and are not
being considered in this case. The EU’s efforts with Armenia and
Azerbaijan are focused on achieving solutions through dialogue, to
which the leaders of both countries have expressed their
commitment,” Borrell said.

He added that Since the beginning of December 2022, the EU has
been closely following the developments along and around the Lachin
road. He also mentioned the deployment of a new civilian EU Mission
in Armenia (EUMA).

“The EU has started a new stage of cooperation by deciding, in
response to Armenia’s request, to send a civilian mission to
Armenia within the framework of the Common Security and Defense
Policy of the European Union. The purpose of the mission is to
promote stability in the border areas of Armenia, strengthen trust
on the ground and provide conditions that will contribute to
efforts aimed at normalizing relations between Armenia and
Azerbaijan, which are supported by the EU,” Borrell said.

Meanwhile, just recently, on January 18, the European Parliament
has adopted an anti-Azerbaijani resolution, which contains a number
of provocative appeals to Baku. This once again confirms the
biased, one-sided policy of the MEPs.

The peaceful protest on the Lachin-Khankendi road against the
illicit exploitation of Azerbaijan’s mineral resources in the area
of Russian peacekeepers’ temporary deployment has been going on for
over fifty days.

Previously, following the talks with the Russian peacekeepers’
command on December 3 and 7, 2022, a group of experts from the
Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the State Property
Service under the Ministry of Economy, and AzerGold CJSC were going
to begin preliminary monitoring of the illicit mineral resource
exploitation, as well as emerging environmental implications on
Azerbaijani lands, where the Russian peacekeepers are temporarily
deployed, on December 10, 2022.