Moreover, we coordinate EU co-funded projects in the field of democracy support, development cooperation and human rights protection. Aliyev told Michel that "Azerbaijan had laid out five principles based on international law for the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and for the signing of a peace agreement," according to his office. Armenia has previously accused Azerbaijan of making incursions into its territory, and is looking to Moscow for help in securing its side of the border. The Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, co-chaired by the United States, France, and Russia, re-engaged on Nagorno-Karabakh negotiations. On April 11, just a few days after the Brussels meeting, a phone call was arranged between the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia, which can be considered the first practical step following the Brussels agreements. Armenians cast their ballots at a polling station on June 20, 2021 for parliamentary elections in Yerevan, Armenia; the first national elections after last year's defeat in fighting against Azerbaijan over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. In President Michel's opinion, all core issues that had led to the first Nagorno-Karabakh war as well as to the renewed hostilities in 2020 will need to be addressed by all stakeholders to create conditions for lasting and equitable peace. Although a peace agreement was signed in 2008 to solidify a resolution, there have beenflashes of violence in the region over the years. At the same time, it is obvious that in the light of the war in Ukraine, it is difficult to imagine cooperation between the West and Russia as it was before February 24th 2022. Domestic violence cases are largely underreported. In November 2021, President Ilham Aliyev inaugurated the Victory Road stretching from Fuzuli District to the city of Shusha on a 101-kilometre route. Privacy Policy | In 2021, nearly 100 Armenian POWs and civilian detainees were returned by Azerbaijan. In the same year, President Aliyev launched the renovated 28.5-kilometre highway leading to the strategic Sugovushan settlement and Talish village in the district of Tartar. The head of the European Council, Charles Michel, underlined the importance of humanitarian gestures for confidence building and peaceful coexistence, including the release of the Armenian prisoners of war remaining in Baku, and a comprehensive solution to the problem of the missing persons. The region, situated in Muslim-majority Azerbaijan, has mostly Christian, Armenian residents. Ethnic Armenian prisoners continued to be detained and prosecuted by Azerbaijan. The EU statement does not mention the OSCE Minsk Group format, co-chaired by the USA, France and Russia. Since the beginning of March, Nagorno-Karabakh had been cut off gas supplies for almost 2 weeks amid unprecedented fierce weather conditions, leaving hospitals, educational institutions, bakeries, homes, etc. The European Committee of Social Rights January conclusions criticized Armenias insufficient access to housing and public transportation for people with disabilities; failure to ban employment discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation; and the lack of an explicit statutory guarantee of equal pay for women and men for equal work. without any heating opportunities. Other cookies are used to boost performance and guarantee security of the website. It is highly important to avoid an escalation of another conflict, especially nowadays, having the war in Ukraine in mind. The impartiality of the EU in this process cannot be underestimated. More broadly, President Michel stressed that for a sustainable normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, it is important to address all outstanding issues at hand, including advancing discussions on the future peace treaty and addressing the root causes of conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Moscow would ease the path for Black Sea exports of Ukrainian grain in return for lifting Western sanctions on Russian grain shipments. Take a look at the beta version of dw.com. Over the decades, Armenia and Azerbaijan had been locked in an armed conflict over the latters Karabakh (Garabagh) region. He welcomed Yerevan and Baku's leadership and stated intentions to engage in good faith in ensuring a conducive atmosphere for the continuation of the talks and expressed the EU's readiness to step up its support to confidence building measures. Following the Soviet Unions dissolution in 1991, Armenia launched a military campaign against Azerbaijan. A September resolution by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe called on Azerbaijani authorities to free all remaining prisoners and urged Armenian authorities to release all mine maps. Armenia does not have comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation. This perception has not substantially changed, even though Russia signed an agreement with Azerbaijan to increase military cooperation just two days before its invasion to Ukraine. With its offices in Asia, the foundation supports programs to strengthen democratic processes, particularly free and fair elections, and transparent and accountable governance. What was still a distant prospect before the 24th of February, became a political reality within 4 months - relative light speed for the Union. You can find more information in our data protection declaration. The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed in a Brussels meeting on Sunday to "advance discussions" on a peace treaty over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Since November 2020, when the large-scale war in Nagorno-Karabakh ended with Russias mediation and deployment of its forces in Nagorno-Karabakh, the EU has been looking for ways to be re-involved in the conflict settlement process. After the first steps towards economic liberalisation, however, the government returned to the modus operandi of the pre-war period. We're not done yet! Under these circumstances, the EU high-level involvement in the mediating process between Armenia and Azerbaijan is very timely. During the pre-election period, politicians used homophobia to advance their campaigns by smearing LGBT people as a threat to the family, national identity, and national security. During 2021, the co-chairs issued several statements on the aftermath of the war, reiterating their willingness to visit the region and calling on the parties to return all POWs and other detainees; exchange all data necessary to conduct effective demining of conflict regions and lift restrictions on access to Nagorno-Karabakh, including for representatives of international humanitarian organizations; preserve and protect religious and cultural heritage; and foster direct contacts and co-operation between conflict-affected communities. After a long hiatus, the Minsk Group co-chairs met in New York during the UN General Assembly. According to the updated draft law on the 2022 state budget of Azerbaijan, nearly 2.7 billion Azerbaijani manats or $1.6 billion will be invested in reconstruction projects, as well as completing ongoing projects this year. In the context of the past days' tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, President Michel reiterated the EUs commitment to deepen its cooperation with both countries to promote a South Caucasus that is secure, stable, peaceful and prosperous for the benefit of all people living in the region. Some 30,000 people were killed. This is far below the Council of Europe standard of one shelter space per 10,000 people. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Armenia continue to face harassment, discrimination, and violence. The 2020 truce ending the six-week war between Armenia and Azerbaijan in and around Nagorno-Karabakh largely held,butperiodic skirmishesmade for a fragile situation on the post-war front lines. We use cookies in order to ensure that you can get the best browsing experience possible on the Council website. The Azerbaijani government has allocated additional state funds towards rebuilding territories liberated from Armenian occupation in 2020. According to official data, during the first six months of 2021, authorities investigated 326 criminal domestic violence complaints. (See Azerbaijan chapter for allegations of executions of Armenian troops by Azerbaijan forces). The smart agriculture concept in the Aghali village is expected to foster innovation within Azerbaijans agriculture sector. But what is driving the cattle deaths? They are also urging various international actors to avoid using the term Nagorno-Karabakh in their public speeches. The construction of the facility is scheduled for completion in September of this year. 
The village will have 600 hectares of the sown area with top-notch irrigation and cultivation techniques deployed. The airport, which was recognized by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), has already received numerous domestic and international flights, including the aircraft carrying Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for attending the airfield's inauguration in 2021. Perhaps the most crucial point is mutual recognition of territorial integrity. We will use this data to improve your experience on our website. New airports are scheduled to come on line in the liberated Azerbaijani lands by 2024. The fighting lasted four years, ending only after Russia's intervention. Even when criminal investigations are launched in response to allegations of torture, they are rarely effective. The charges stem from an interview Sultanyan gave to the website Yezidinews.am, where he alleged discrimination of Yezidi minorities in Armenia. In December 2021, the head of the European Council, Charles Michel, coordinated a meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev ahead of the Eastern Partnership summit. Spain, Italy, Portugal and Mediterranean Dialogue, picture alliance / ASSOCIATED PRESS | Uncredited, Press Officer and Deputy Press Spokesperson Foreign Offices, Berlin-Brandenburg/Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, IAF - International Exchange and Advanced Training. Russia Voices Readiness to Resume Grain Export in Return for Sanctions Relief. The negotiations, which lasted more than 4 hours, were a continuation of the December 2021 discussions. Numerous ArmenianPOWs were subjected to cruel and degrading treatment and torture by Azerbaijaniforces either when they were captured, during their transfer, or while in custody at various detention facilities. In this context, both parties confirmed there were no extraterritorial claims with regard to future transport infrastructure. Share this via Email Five key components of development are being applied in Aghali: housing, production, social services, smart agriculture, and alternative energy. In North America, our focus is on the transatlantic partnership, which we see as a supporting pillar for the security and stability of Western democracies. Meanwhile, the effectiveness of Russias military presence in Nagorno-Karabakh has been actively discussed. The peace plan has led to protests in Yerevan, with government critics sayingPashinyan is being too soft in his stance. The Russian forces were literally standing and watching what was going on without reacting. Striving to fight rising incidents of hate speech, authorities introduced regulations which may undermine freedom of speech. An unknown number of children with disabilities also continue to live in six private orphanages, with minimal government oversight. An agreement was reached to create a bilateral commission by the end of April, which will deal with the demilitarisation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The war in Ukraine put Russia in a situation where its focus shifted away from South Causacus; it hence does not have enough power to mediate in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. But there is no end in sight to the death of the herds. What ultimately matters most is that all issues are comprehensively addressed; this includes rights and security of all populations. Share this via Printer. armenia clashes azerbaijan erupted between Private companies are expected to launch a combined factory complex for producing world-renowned mozzarella cheese in the village. Since the 1990s, tensions have simmered between the two breakaway ex-Soviet republics over Nagorno-Karabakh the border territory sandwiched between the two nations. In all instances in which officials were held accountable for acts of physical abuse, they were convicted for general abuse of office offenses. The government undertook several attempts, including by introducing legislative amendments, to tackle the spread of hateful and degrading speech. The 2017 family violence law requires police to urgently intervene when there is a reasonable assumption of an immediate threat of repetition or the continuation of violence in the family. With no independent human rights monitoring in Nagorno-Karabakh, there is no mechanism to address problems arising from cross-border shootings and other insecurities. In his written statement issued shortly afterward, he expressed the EUs readiness to support these efforts through the provision of expertise and increased financial assistance, as well as assistance to conflict-affected populations, rehabilitation and reconstruction. yemen Torture and ill-treatment in custody remains a problem and it is often perpetrated with impunity. 
EU Special Representative Klaar will be traveling to the region in the next days to follow up on all aspects under discussion. He welcomed the first historic meeting of both countries' Border Commissions on 24 May and stressed the paramount importance of ensuring stability and security along the state border between Armenia and Azerbaijan as delimitation will be pursued. Azeri forces deployed ballistic missiles, cluster munitions and drones to take back the region. The criminal code does not recognize animus due to sexual orientation or gender identity as aggravating criminal circumstances in hate crimes. Share this via Reddit They reached an agreement to arrange a meeting in the near future to discuss further details of this commission. Authorities pursued spurious criminal incitement charges against Sashik Sultanyan, the chairperson of a nongovernmental group, Yezidi Center for Human Rights. Speculation to the contrary is regrettable. Since then, almost 80 percent of the infrastructure project has been completed. In September 2021, the Armenian Ombudsmans Office stated that at least 41 prisoners of war (POWs) and 4 civilian detainees remain in Azerbaijani custody. It is reported that the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders instructed their foreign ministers to begin preparatory work for the peace treaty. The recent war and political crises triggered heated public debates, which often included inflammatory speech by members of parliament and other public officials that was at times directed against human rights defenders and activists. The war ended with the signing of a tripartite statement by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia on November 10, 2020. In July, Armenia handed over landmine maps, detailing the location of around 92,000 anti-vehicle and anti-personnel mines in Fizuli and Zangelan regions; Azerbaijan handed over 15 captured Armenian soldiers in exchange for the maps. A smart village based on three main components of the concept of smart rural development, including smart public administration, smart infrastructure and services, as well as a smart economy and business environment, is being built in the Aghali village of Zangilan District. In their August joint statement, the UN special rapporteurs on minority issues, on the situation of human rights defenders, and on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of expression called on Armenia to drop charges against Sashik Sultanyan. Since then the Armenian side has been unsuccessfully trying to achieve the withdrawal of the Azerbaijani forces to their original positions. The Armenian Prime Minister repeatedly mentioned the necessity to investigate the actions of Russian peacekeepers in such situations. A European Council meeting of the 27 heads of state unanimously approved the bids of both countries and offered Georgia the European perspective. Through the connection of EU experts, civil society, and decision makers we seek to foster open dialogue and discuss liberal policy solutions to European challenges. Fresh talks between them (again, with the mediation of Charles Michel) took place in Brussels on April 6 this year and are one of the most discussed topics in both South Caucasian countries. The civil aviation infrastructure in the liberated lands will expand its reach even more with the third airport that will come online in the Lachin district in 2024. The Fuzuli International Airport dubbed the air gate to Karabakh, was the first to come online in October 2021. Other ways to share The Russian war of aggression on Ukraine has severely shaken the Ukrainian economy. With your permission, we will use AT internet and Hotjar cookies to produce aggregated, anonymous data about our visitors' browsing and behaviour on our website. This website is the official website of the Council of the EU and the European Council. Together with our liberal partners, we develop formats and campaigns to promote rule of law, free markets and human rights.
Benleg- Delivering the dream
