MEPs issue Joint Statement on Azerbaijani and Russian officials`  reaction to Armenia-France military- technical

ArmInfo. A number of MEPs have issued a Joint Statement concerning the reaction to the Armenia-France military-technical cooperation by Azerbaijani and Russian officials. 

Recently, France and Armenia signed a contract in the context of 

military-technical cooperation, which triggered an arrogant reaction 

by Russia, in sync with Azerbaijan. 

The statement reads:

We remind (you) that the sovereign right of every state to maintain 

combat-capable armed forces equipped with modern military assets. 

Both regimes accused France of fuelling conflict in the South 

Caucasus region, which once again highlights that there is a certain 

collusion between both countries, that resulted in the ethnic 

cleansing of more than 140 000 Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh in 

September of 2023. This collusion is ongoing and the European 

Commission and the EEAS are closing their eyes to it. It is 

bewildering that authoritarian and aggressor countries like 

Azerbaijan and Russia condemn EU Member States like France in 

"seeking to use existing disagreements, contradictions within 

countries or between countries as a tool to achieve its own 

opportunistic goals." This in no way can be acceptable by the 

European Union and it is high time to impose sanctions on the 

dictatorial Aliyev regime for its destructive actions in undermining 

regional peace and security, and human rights abuses. We strongly 

condemn the official statements of Baku and Moscow and call on the 

Commission and the EEAS to react immediately to this situation. 

The statement was signed by: Miriam Lexmann MEP (EPP, Slovakia) 

Francois-Xavier Bellamy MEP (EPP, France) Charlie Weimers MEP (ECR, 

Sweden) Nathalie Loiseau MEP (Renew, France) Costas Mavrides MEP 

(S&D, Cyprus) Raphael Glucksmann MEP (S&D, France) Rasa Jukneviciene 

MEP (EPP, Lithuania) Andrius Kubilius MEP (EPP, Lithuania) Christophe 

Gomart MEP (EPP, France) Loucas Fourlas MEP (EPP, Cyprus) Celine 

Imart MEP (EPP, France) Bert-Jan Ruissen MEP (ECR, Netherlands) 

Petras Austrevicius MEP (Renew, Lithuania) Laurent Castillo MEP (EPP, 

France) Marketa Gregorova MEP (Greens-EFA, Czechia)