A roundtable discussion entitled “The Geopolitical Developments in the South Caucasus: Focus on Armenia and Artsakh” took place at the Belgian Senate on Monday. The panel, which brought together experts was initiated by Senator Demesmaeker and organized by the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy.
The purpose of the conference was to comprehensively analyze the geopolitical developments in the South Caucasus region since September 2020, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the challenges facing the Republic of Armenia.
The keynote speakers of the roundtable discussion were Els Van Hoof, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Belgian Federal Parliament; Paul Meerts, International negotiation analyst and co-founder of Clingendael Institute; Benjamin Poghosyan, Senior Research Fellow at the Applied Policy Research Institute of Armenia; and Gegham Stepanyan, the Artsakh Human Rights Defender.
Other Belgian politicians and public figures, representatives of the Belgian Armenian community, as well as representatives of other minorities, participated in the round table discussion, which was led by Demesmaeker.
Following opening remarks by EAFJD President Kaspar Karempetian, Demesmaeker said that it is important for him, both as a lawmaker and as an individual, to keep the events of Nagorno-Karabakh and Artsakh Armenians on the agenda.
“Having visited Nagorno-Karabakh and the border region with Azerbaijan, I directly saw the impact of the conflict. Azerbaijan’s aggression and the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh are completely unacceptable. We must put pressure on the EU and the international community to end this impunity. It is important not to ignore the South Caucasus while focusing on the Middle East and Ukraine. We cannot ignore the suffering and instability of this region,” said Demesmaeker.
“Historical injustice does not leave Armenians. When I visited Artsakh, I saw people with values of freedom and peace, who, despite being isolated, tried to maintain an independent economy and resist challenges, with democratically elected authorities,” the Belgian senator said.
“For me, the right to self-determination is a key issue, and I am convinced that democracies should unite around it,” the Senator noted, adding that Artsakh Armenians want to return to their homeland in a dignified manner, and ignoring this desire is unacceptable,” he added.
Vardan Sargsyan, Deputy Head of the Armenian Mission to the EU, noted in his speech that although the war is over, Azerbaijan’s aggressive rhetoric and unilateral demands continue.
“Armenia itself is facing serious challenges today in order to preserve its sovereignty and independence,” Sargsyan said.
The President of the EAFJD, Kaspar Karapetian, stated that the current situation is the most difficult period for the Armenian people since the Armenian Genocide, but the struggle will continue.
“This round table serves as an important platform for promoting dialogue and promoting the efforts aimed at protecting the inalienable rights of the Armenian population of Artsakh,” Karampetian said.
“It is imperative for Belgium and all European Union member states to apply pressure on Azerbaijan regarding the ethnic cleansing carried out against the people of Artsakh, effectively putting an end to Azerbaijan’s impunity. The international community should put pressure on Azerbaijan to release all Armenian prisoners of war and captives being held in Baku. Continued advocacy remains key to ensuring peace, justice and stability in the region,” added Karampetian.
“Azerbaijan is systematically demolishing the building of the Nagorno-Karabakh National Assembly and attempting to erase every Armenian trace, trying to conduct unbalanced peace negotiations. This behavior is not surprising at all. The EU should reevaluate its relations with Azerbaijan and exert diplomatic pressure on Baku. Ultimately, in order to end the injustice and impunity, sanctions should be applied against the regime in Baku,” stated Els Van Hoof, who had long been blacklisted by Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan suddenly attempted to contact and invite Els Van Hoof to Baku, but he declined that invitation.
Stepanyan, the Artsakh Rights Defender, stressed the importance of holding such discussions on the European platform, stressing with regret that the issue of the return of Artsakh Armenians is not on the agenda as it should have been, and there is a need for the help of the international community in this matter.
“Our rights do not only have a financial aspect, it is important for us to return to our homes with dignity and preserve our identity,” Stepanyan added.
According to political scientist Benyamin Poghosyan, the long-standing dream of Turkey and Azerbaijan is to have a common land border, which they can only achieve in the region at the expense of Armenia. Poghosyan also notes that there are obligations that Azerbaijan must undertake, but unfortunately, there is no effective mechanism that will compel President Aliyev to fulfill them.
Furthermore, the political scientist states that the EU cannot ensure Armenia’s security due to its lack of an army. However, it is essential to encourage European partners to invest in Armenia and establish a presence to enhance security.
