YEREVAN, MAY 21, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh issued a statement on the resolution adopted by the European Parliament on May 20, which demands the immediate and unconditional release of all Armenian prisoners of war and civilians taken hostage during and after the 44-day war. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Foreign Ministry of Artsakh, the statement runs as follows,

‘’We welcome the adoption of the resolution of the European Parliament (EP) on 20th of May following the urgent debate where inter alia the European Parliament demands the immediate and unconditional release of all Armenian prisoners, both military and civilian, captured during and after the war unleashed against the people of Artsakh by the Azerbaijani-Turkish tandem. We commend the efforts of the overwhelming majority of EP members to address this issue of humanitarian emergency by keeping constant pressure on Azerbaijan to ensure that Azerbaijan respects its own international obligations, particularly, with regard to ECHR and Geneva Conventions. This resolution is a significant contribution to the collective efforts of the international community to return the Armenian prisoners back home.

We also note with satisfaction that the resolution attaches great importance to the security of Artsakh and the protection of its cultural heritage in territories currently under Azerbaijani occupation. It is commendable that the European Parliament insists that Equal Rights and Self-Determination of Peoples are imperative principles for determining the future status of Nagorno-Karabakh. 

We also welcome the resolution adopted on May 19th by the European Parliament on May 19 calling on the EU and its Member States to add the “racist right-wing extremist” ‘Grey Wolves’ movement to their terrorist list, to ban their associations and organisations in EU countries. The resolution is a crucial step toward fighting extremism and racism in the region. It will also be a clear and important message to rogue states that the international community stands up to their genocidal policies’’.