2024-10-03 17:07:54
The rights and security of the Karabakh Armenians must be guaranteed within the framework of the constitution of Azerbaijan, Charles Michel, the head of the European Council, said in an exclusive interview to “Freedom”, adding that the European Union continues negotiations with the leadership of Baku on this issue.
“We believe that ethnic Armenians should have the right to return or at least be able to visit that part of Azerbaijan, and their safety and rights should be guaranteed. Regarding the protection of minorities, there are international standards that must be respected according to the Constitution of Azerbaijan, within the framework of which the rights of minorities must be guaranteed,” said Michel.
“After the second Karabakh war, the Armenian side insisted that the Armenians of Karabakh should be given international guarantees of security and protection of their rights. Is there a reference to that issue in the peace agreement, or has it lost its urgency after the depopulation of Karabagh?”, the head of the European Council responded to the question of “Freedom” by saying that he does not want to delve into the details, at the same time emphasizing that the guarantor of this issue should be the authorities of Azerbaijan.
“We are communicating a lot with the president of Azerbaijan on this topic to raise vigilance and try to convince the Azerbaijani authorities to show that they want to protect minorities and ensure that international standards are respected. This is the political debate we are having, and I sincerely hope that we can make progress on a priority issue for the EU,” said Charles Michel.