Letter to Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission

Letter to Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission Letter to Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission https://innews.media/en/news/id-28791

Lady Ursula von der Leyen, a tripartite meeting between the USA, the European Union, and Armenia was held in Brussels on 04/05/24 with your participation. I am acquainted with the statements made before and after the meeting. I would like to express my views regarding the tripartite meetings. You mentioned that the European Union will allocate 270 million euros and the USA will allocate 65 million dollars in aid to Armenia. This fund will be allocated over the next four years.

"Esteemed Madam Ursula von der Leyen, if your intention is to foster peace and flourishing cooperation in the South Caucasus, the initiative should have been undertaken 30 years ago.

Armenia occupied 20% of Azerbaijan's territory, you should have acted when today you allocate €270 million to Armenia. Armenia had occupied the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan for 30 years. As a result of the occupation, over a million Azerbaijani citizens became refugees from their own land. No one helped at all."

It never occurred to anyone.But today, you announce that you are allocating €30 million to the Armenian minority who are leaving Nagorno-Karabakh by their own will, and you are ready to provide them with long-term support. Well, then why didn't you allocate aid for the 1 million Azerbaijani refugees? After all, they were at least 10 times more numerous than the Armenians.

Then you should have allocated €300 million to Azerbaijani refugees. You have noted that we thank Armenia for joining the efforts of the EU to evade Russian sanctions. Conversely, after the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, Armenia's budget began to increase. What is the reason?

The reason is that Armenia has been taking advantage of the sanctions you imposed by re-exporting US and European-made products to Russia. This has been written about in an article by 'The New York Times'. US and European officials are increasingly concerned about Russia obtaining US and European-made products through re-export via Armenia.

"Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan speaks at length about the 1991 Almaty Declaration. Did Nikol Pashinyan, who came to power in 2018, not know about the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration?! Of course, he was aware. But some time after coming to power, he used the statement 'Karabakh is Armenia, period.

On September 27, 2020, Armenia attacked Azerbaijan, and the war began. But today, he talks about the Almaty Declaration.

Four years have passed since the 44-day war in 2020. Armenia had signed the tripartite declaration, taking on the obligation that all communications would be opened with Azerbaijan.

However, even after four years, these commitments remain unfulfilled. Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has made many such declarations but has not fulfilled them.

The European Union and the United States providing financial support to Armenia, which occupied 20% of Azerbaijan's territory for 30 years, is illogical. The Armenia you support today has turned 20% of Azerbaijan's lands into ruins over a 30-year period.

It has caused damages to the Azerbaijani state amounting to hundreds of billions. Instead of aiding Azerbaijan, you have assisted the occupying Armenia and speak of it with pride. You display an unfair stance, and this does not serve peace and security in the South Caucasus. Europe wants peace in the Caucasus, yet France arms Armenia.

Despite all this injustice, Azerbaijan has independently restored its territorial integrity and will continue to protect and maintain it. Unlike Armenia, Azerbaijan supports the swift conclusion of a peace treaty. It advocates for the delimitation and demarcation of borders and the opening of all communication systems.

"Expert in International Law

Asaf Askar

Germany

04/05/24