Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis firmly rejects biased resolution of European Parliament

“We have acquainted ourselves with the 24 October Resolution of the European Parliament, entitled “The Situation in Azerbaijan, Violation of Human Rights and International Law, and Relations with Armenia”. The institution in question, which presents itself as the visage of the European parliamentarism, has again come forward with an anti-Azerbaijani statement, ignoring all the problems of the old continent,” Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis (Parliament) said in a comment regarding the 24 October resolution of the European Parliament.

“We have become accustomed to the indifference of the European Parliament towards the just expectations of the Azerbaijani people. Ultimately, the 30-year occupation of our lands by Armenia, the wiping of our towns and villages, the widespread destruction and appropriation of our historical, religious, and cultural heritage in the occupied territories and within Armenia, as well as the violation of the rights of over one million of our compatriots who have become refugees and internally displaced persons, and their years of suffering have never been of interest to European parliamentarians. They could not come to terms with the fact that, consequent to the 44-day Patriotic War and the anti-terrorist operations conducted in September 2023, Azerbaijan restored its territorial integrity and sovereignty, independently implementing the norms and principles of international law.

However, it is now becoming clear that the European Parliament has decided to demonstrate fully its anti-Azerbaijani essence. The text of the resolution, which compiles various themes and pressure tools used by different interest groups acting against our country and presents them in the form of a single document, justifies such a statement.

Several scraps of paper present the facts that are based on false information about Azerbaijan, along with absurd accusations, threats, and demands. There is a blatant display of disrespect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our country, alongside attempts to interfere in our internal affairs. At the same time, there is a particular favour shown towards Armenia, encouraging its rearmament, which indicates serious efforts to strengthen revanchist sentiments in that country and reignite conflict in the region.

The resolution contains not a single word about the restoration and reconstruction work being carried out on our lands liberated from occupation, the return of former internally displaced persons to their homeland, the just demands of Western Azerbaijanis, the demining of our territories that have been extensively mined by Armenia, or the fate of nearly 4,000 of our compatriots reported missing. This clearly demonstrates how biased and one-sided this document is. It is simply outrageous that individuals whose hands are stained with the blood of the Azerbaijani people, those who have committed crimes against peace and humanity, are presented as prisoners of war.

Equally prominently noticeable is the partial approach to the initiatives and endeavours of our country aiming for peace, stability and cooperation, globally as well as regionally. Regrettably, European parliamentarians do not even hesitate to politicise such an important issue as climate change, using it as a means to level accusations against Azerbaijan.

On the whole, the aforementioned resolution is noteworthy for understanding the true nature of the Azerbaijanophobic, Turkophobic, and Islamophobic forces: in pursuit of their unscrupulous intentions, they can easily disregard universally accepted values and principles, as well as the very notion of justice, interpreting them according to their own interests.

We would hardly be mistaken if we were to interpret the resolution as a serious consequence of the deeply entrenched corruption and bribery within the European Parliament. This resolution, based on the false narratives of France, Armenia, and the Armenian lobby, is, in fact, a response to the material gains achieved.

Another thought-provoking point is the extent to which chauvinistic, racist, and colonial thinking has taken root in the European Parliament. By labelling the peoples fighting against colonialism as irredentist groups, European parliamentarians justify France's colonial policies, framing them as part of European politics. It can be assumed that the nations suffering from colonialism will gain a clearer understanding of who is hindering their aspirations for freedom and independence.

One can draw only the sole conclusion from this resolution of the European Parliament targeting our country, which is that the independent policy pursued under the leadership of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, which serves our national and sovereign interests, seriously concerns certain individuals. However, they forget that Azerbaijan cannot be addressed in a language of pressure and ultimatums.

The Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan firmly rejects the deliberately distorted, biased, and one-sided resolution of the European Parliament. We declare that our parliament unequivocally supports the policy aimed at protecting the interests of our country and our people and will continue mobilizing all its efforts for its implementation,” the Azerbaijani parliament added.