[PIO] Interventions of the MPs Mr. George Loukaidis and Ms. Christiana Erotokritou at the Plenary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the

In the context of the work of the Fourth Part of the 2023 Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the members of the Cypriot delegation, Mr. George Loucaides and Ms Christiana Erotokritou participated yesterday in a debate in the plenary session of Parliament on the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno Karabakh.

Mr Loucaides said that the current humanitarian situation in Nagorno Karabakh is an example of the imposition of the "law of the strong", but also of the failure of the international community to ensure the prevalence of international law and the protection of human rights. Condemning Azerbaijan's latest attack on Nagorno Karabakh, the Cypriot MP expressed solidarity with the more than 100,000 Armenians forced to flee their ancestral homes and called on the international community to strengthen efforts to support the refugees. Mr. Loucaides expressed disappointment that the CSTO, and particularly other powerful international actors, failed to prevent ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Karabakh, proving once again the supremacy of their selfish interests over international law and human life. He also criticised Turkey for its full support for Azerbaijan. He called on the international community to hold Azerbaijan accountable for its actions and to treat every case of violation of international law in the same way, consistently and firmly, rejecting the logic of two measures and two stations. Noting that Azerbaijan is listed among the worst performing member states in terms of the Organization's acquis, the Cypriot MP urged the country to implement the relevant recommendations of the CSTO and comply with relevant decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, as well as to show goodwill by returning to the negotiating table to find a peaceful and viable solution between Armenia and Azerbaijan in accordance with international law.

For her part, Ms. Erotokritu noted that Azerbaijan's most recent attack on Nagorno Karabakh, coupled with the complete blockade of the Lachin corridor, which caused inhumane living conditions, constitute a clear attempt to ethnically cleanse the Armenian population. Unfortunately, he said, the dire humanitarian situation of the Armenians is reminiscent of the sad images of the Armenian genocide of 1915-1916. He further noted that according to international law, these acts constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. Under no circumstances, he stressed, should the mass exodus of the Armenian population from Nagorno Karabakh become the new reality and underlined Azerbaijan's contractual obligation to ensure the return of Armenians to their homes in security conditions, with full respect for their human rights. Azerbaijan, he added, should be held accountable for its actions, which are contrary to the fundamental principles and values of the Council of Europe, and should suffer the consequences if it fails to respond and restore the human rights of Armenians who were expelled from the region.

(Text as sent by the House of Representatives)
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