European Parliament commemorates Armenian Genocide anniversary, draws parallels with Nagorno- Karabakh ethnic cleansing

ArmInfo.  On April 3, the European Parliament held a poignant plenary session commemorating the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, with numerous Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) drawing stark parallels between the  historical tragedy and the recent forced displacement of ethnic  Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh. MEPs passionately called for  recognition by Turkiye and Azerbaijan as a crucial step towards  reconciliation and strongly criticized the European Union's continued  engagement with Azerbaijan despite its actions.

Miriam Lexmann (EPP) emphasized the fundamental link between  recognition and reconciliation, stating,

"The only path to achieve normalization of relations is to recognize  and work on recognition. 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."

Echoing this sentiment, Yannis Maniatis (S&D) drew a direct line to  recent events:

"Reminds us of recent events in Nagorno-Karabakh where hundreds of  thousands were forced to leave their homes, suffering a systematic  destruction of their cultural monuments, this is a painful reminder  that without memory and recognition the past will repeat itself."

Maniatis detailed the persecution of Greeks, Armenians and Assyrians  in the Ottoman Empire to the forceful depopulation of  Nagorno-Karabakh, a comparison that gained further weight when he  discussed how his own family was subjected to these persecutions by  the Ottoman Empire and became refugees. He further called on the EU  to increase its support towards recognition and in pressuring Turkey  to recognize "its crimes of the past".

Several MEPs highlighted the historical context and ongoing threats.  Nicolas Bay (ECR) asserted, "110 years ago, the Armenian people were  subject to an appalling Genocide by Turkiye, and it has not  recognized that act of genocide. For 110 years they have sought to  annex Armenian lands and eradicate the Armenian people." He further  called for caution regarding the recent peace negotiations between  Armenia and Azerbaijan, stating, "On the peace treaty between Armenia  and Azerbaijan, let us not be naive, the demands by Azerbaijan have  shown bad faith by Baku. We need to stand firmly with the Armenian  people and ensure any : agreements with Turkiye and Azerbaijan are  tied to prior recognition of territorial sovereignty of Armenia and  full respect for Armenian people."

The European Union's own role and responsibilities in the face of  these historical parallels and ongoing crises came under intense  scrutiny during the plenary session. MEPs voiced strong concerns  about the EU's current approach, with Marketa Gregorova (Greens)  pointedly questioning the Union's commitment to its values. She  argued that the commemoration of past atrocities must translate into  action against present injustices, stating that the EU "cannot  continue to close our eyes when it is convenient for us." Gregorova  highlighted the recent forced displacement of ethnic Armenians from  Nagorno-Karabakh while simultaneously noting the continued import of  gas from Azerbaijan by European member states and the maintenance of  the memorandum of understanding with Baku. Her call was clear:

"Let us support Armenia, the last remaining democracy in the region."

The gravity of the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh was further  underscored by Pernando Barrena Arza (The Left), who explicitly  labeled the events as "ethnic cleansing." He urged the EU to confront  Azerbaijan's actions and not to forget the plight of the Armenian  refugees and political prisoners facing "fake trials and fake  rulings." Barrena Arza insisted on greater EU involvement to ensure a  change in Azerbaijan's attitude and to prevent further violence from  both Azerbaijan and Turkiye.

Concluding this critical examination of the present alongside the  past, Marie Toussaint (Greens) powerfully emphasized the enduring  pain of the Armenian Genocide, describing it as "an open wound in the  memory of the Armenian people and the memory of Europeans." She  stressed the moral imperative to keep this memory alive and to  actively fight against denial. Toussaint connected the historical  injustice directly to the current suffering of Armenians, pointing to  the political prisoners in Azerbaijan, the hundred thousand displaced  individuals from Nagorno-Karabakh denied their right to return, and  the ongoing impact of energy policies. Her poignant observation that  "History is repeating itself in other ways but with the same  impunity" served as a stark indictment of the present inaction  considering past lessons.

The plenary session underscored the European Parliament's strong  condemnation of the ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh, on which  multiple resolutions have been adopted and reiterated the crucial  importance of recognizing the Armenian Genocide as a foundation for  lasting peace and reconciliation in the region.  MEPs called for a  more consistent and principled EU foreign policy that prioritizes  human rights and international law over economic interests.

The EAFJD, as a pan-European umbrella organization with chapters in  14 European countries expresses its gratitude towards the MEPs who  honored the memory of victims of the Armenian Genocide and continue  to shed light on the struggles of the Armenian people, especially the  forcefully displaced Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh. Commenting on the  subject, the president of the EAFJD echoed the criticism of several  MEPs towards the EU Executive and its lack of political will to use  the word "genocide", adequately show respect and honor the victims of  this crime.