Belgian Parliament to hold hearings on draft resolution on Artsakh

A resolution urging sanctions against Azerbaijan’s Aliyev regime and immediate actions to free the unlawfully detained Armenian prisoners will be debated by Belgian legislators on April 2, Armenpress reports.

The hearing will be held at the initiative of the foreign relations committee of the Chamber of Representatives, the lower house of Belgium’s federal parliament. 

The resolution was introduced months ago by Members of the Chamber of Representatives Els Van Hoof (CD&V) and Michel De Maegd (MR).

Van Hoof told Armenpress that she was ‘deeply shocked’ by Azerbaijan’s nine-month blockade of Artsakh prior to the ethnic cleansing of the region. 

“It is important that Belgium supports Armenia, a country that shares our values of democracy, the rule of law, and respect for international law. I was deeply shocked by the blockade of the Lachin Corridor, Azerbaijan’s subsequent aggression against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, and Azerbaijan’s continuous aggressive rhetoric against Armenia. Belgium and Europe must pressure Azerbaijan to fully respect Armenia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and to work genuinely towards sustainable peace. If Azerbaijan continues to violate international law, sanctions must be adopted at the European level, and the EU’s relations with Azerbaijan must be reviewed. This is what my resolution is calling for,” she said.

Michel De Maegd said the international community must act to secure the release of the Armenian prisoners of war held in Azerbaijan. He stressed the importance of increasing pressure on Azerbaijan. “I once again discussed this issue with the foreign minister and prime minister last week. This is an urgent issue,” Michel De Maegd said, adding that the resolution calls on the Belgian government to act and use its levers. “It calls for sanctions against Aliyev regime.”

The resolution also calls for the protection of the Armenian cultural heritage, the release of Armenian POWs, the safe return of Artsakh Armenians, and other critical issues.