President Sarkisian Slams Baku in His Strasbourg Address

STRASBOURG, France (A.W.)—Armenian President Serge Sarkisian strongly criticized Azerbaijan’s hostility, and reiterated his country’s strong support for Artsakh, during his address to the winter plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg on Wednesday.

“Artsakh cannot stay out of the international processes simply because Azerbaijan is opposed to it,” Sarkisian noted in his address, stressing that Azerbaijani authorities employ a policy of aggression and continue to commit “flagrant violations” of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Sarkisian noted that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group is the only internationally agreed format for the resolution of the Artsakh conflict, and that the international community, including the Council of Europe, has reiterated its support of the group on numerous occasions.

“The commitment undertaken by Armenia and Azerbaijan requires a joint and concerted effort of all the parties to the conflict. However, Azerbaijan is obviously not ready for it,” Sarkisian said. “The aggression that Azerbaijan unleashed against Artsakh in April 2016 was characterized by egregious violations of the international humanitarian law against the peaceful civilians and prisoners of war. It struck a heavy blow upon the negotiation process by reawakening dreadful memories of the Sumgait massacre.”

“Artsakh continues to build democracy and human rights. Armenia will provide full support to Artsakh. There must be no gray zones in Europe when it comes to protection of human rights,” he noted, adding that the conflict requires respect for ceasefire regime. “The settlement must be peaceful and we have to overcome deficit of justice,” Sarkisian said.

The president also criticized PACE for having “turned a blind eye” to the conflict, particularly during Azerbaijan’s large-scale offensive in April 2016, which provided fuel to those who are not interested in peaceful settlement of the conflict. “I call upon all the members of this Assembly to apprehend the potential negative consequences of a careless or biased language for the fragile stability in Artsakh,” he noted.

During his address, Sarkisian also noted the importance of stronger ties between Armenia and Europe, the implementation of Armenia’s new Electoral Code, and the reforming of its judicial, criminal, and criminal procedure systems.

Sarkisian’s remarks can be read here in their entirety.