Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who joined the European Political Community summit in Yerevan via video link, stated that “his participation clearly demonstrates that peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia is a reality,” APA reports.
He said the two countries have been living in peaceful conditions for nine months and are trying to adapt to this reality.
Aliyev also voiced criticisms toward the European Parliament, stating that Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is as valuable as that of any other country and that double standards are unacceptable, Report.az writes.
The European Parliament has adopted a resolution condemning Azerbaijan’s illegal detention of Armenian prisoners of war and hostages, calling for their immediate and unconditional release. It also stressed that lasting peace must be based on respect for Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He noted that not all European institutions have shown the same approach as the European Commission in supporting the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace process. According to him, such bodies include the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
According to Aliyev, the European Parliament, “instead of supporting the peace process, is engaged in undermining it.” He said that from May 2021—about six months after the end of the Second Karabakh War—until April 30, 2026, the European Parliament adopted 14 resolutions containing “offensive wording” and, in his view, “inaccurate information about Azerbaijan.”
“The most recent was adopted just four days ago, deliberately ahead of the summit. Instead of addressing fundamental problems in some member states, such as xenophobia, Islamophobia, antisemitism, migration, competitiveness, and homelessness, the European Parliament targets Azerbaijan by spreading slander and falsehoods.
The reason is that Azerbaijan has restored its territorial integrity and sovereignty, put an end to separatism, and held war criminals accountable. In response, on May 1, Azerbaijan’s parliament officially decided to suspend cooperation with the European Parliament in all areas, halt participation in the EU–Azerbaijan Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, and initiate the process of ending its membership in the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly,” Aliyev said.
The European Parliament has reaffirmed its support for the rights of Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, including protection of identity and property. It explicitly called for ensuring their safe, unimpeded, and dignified right of return with international guarantees. It also demanded accountability for the destruction of Armenian cultural and religious heritage and proposed conducting an international assessment mission.
