Volt Europa stands in solidarity with Armenia and the Armenian people

Today, April 24th, marks the commemoration of the Armenian genocide. On this anniversary, Volt condemns all forms of denial of the Armenian genocide and stands with all Armenians in remembering the victims of the genocide.

Armenia and the Armenian people are suffering from Azerbaijan's armed aggression on its territory and President Aliyev's threatening declarations that call into question their very existence. The 44-day war of October and November 2020, which left more than 6,500 dead, ended with a ceasefire whose implementation is under the control of a Russian interposition force. 

In violation of the provisions of this ceasefire agreement, the Azerbaijani army launched an attack on the territory of the Republic of Armenia on 13 September last year, killing 250 Armenians, and has been since militarily occupying a portion of Armenian territory in the Syunik region. Since 11 December 2022, Azerbaijan has been blockading the Lachine corridor, the only land link between the Republic of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, depriving the 120,000 inhabitants of the enclave of access to food, energy and healthcare. On 5 March, three policemen from the Nagorno-Karabakh police were killed in an ambush by Azerbaijani military. In recent statements, President Aliyev has revealed Azerbaijan's true agenda by referring to Armenia as "West Azerbaijan", Armenians as "dogs" and Yerevan as an Azeri city.

These multiple armed and verbal aggressions against Armenia and the Armenian population have not given rise to any effective intervention by the Russian interposition force whose mission it is to intervene in such situations. Moreover, the Minsk Group, mandated by the OSCE and the parties involved to seek a long-term solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, is paralysed by Russia.

In this context, which poses a serious threat to stability and peace in the South Caucasus and beyond, Volt:

• condemns the armed aggression and threats of ethnic cleansing by Azerbaijan against Armenia and Armenians

• calls for the immediate lifting of the blockade of the Latchine corridor and the withdrawal of the Azerbaijani forces occupying part of the internationally recognised territory of Armenia

• fully supports the Armenian people who are victims of these aggressions and the democratically elected government of the Republic of Armenia

• fully approves and supports the initiative launched by the President of the European Council to create a European civilian mission to help delimit the borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan

• calls on the European Commission to condemn the statements made by the Azerbaijani dictatorship aimed at annexing Armenia and at ethnic cleansing

• calls for the UN Security Council to address the issue of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh and the aggression of Azerbaijan if the Minsk Group continues to fail to act.

On this 24th of April, the anniversary of the outbreak of the Armenian genocide, Volt demands that Türkiye finally recognises the genocidal nature of the massacres of Armenians perpetrated at the initiative of the Young Turk government in 1915-1916, in accordance with the European Parliament resolution of 18 June 1987 and similar resolutions adopted by the governments or parliamentary assemblies of 16 European Union Member States.