MEP François Alfonsi says tough sanctions must be introduced against Aliyev

MEPs should not have given importance to Aliyev within the framework of the gas agreement, they should have helped Armenia strengthen itself militarily, François Alfonsi, the co-chair of the Friendship Group with Artsakh in the Council of Europe, said in a conversation with Alpha News, referring to the discussion of the resolution “The situation in Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan’s attack and the continuing threats against Armenia.”

“The adoption of this resolution was a belated step. Many members of the European Parliament are now coming up with similar initiatives, but this should have been done much earlier, especially before the 2020 war. They should not have focused on Aliyev within the framework of the gas agreement, they should have exerted strong diplomatic pressure instead. Moreover, they should have provided military assistance to Armenia, etc. This would become a political choice. Today we spoke about all this in the European Parliament,” he said.

Alfonsi noted that the European Council does not have the function of making decisions, but can only exert pressure.

“The ethnic cleansing in Artsakh is a signal that, in the end, Europe will see and recognize reality, at least the European Parliament has already learned about it. Unfortunately, I cannot say whether this is enough. The European Council has no decision-making function, it can only exert pressure. We apply this pressure within the limits of our capabilities in the European Parliament. You know, I would say that European diplomacy is a systematic diplomacy, it does not play a decisive role, since here each country is guided by its own foreign policy. And some of these countries supported Aliyev rather than democracy. The adoption of such a resolution is a message to the entire European community about the current situation in Armenia,” he said.

Alfonsi assures that Aliyev backed by Erdogan will not give up its military ambitions.

“I am sure that Aliyev’s military ambitions will continue with the support of Erdogan and can only be prevented through the joint efforts of international community, with the necessary pressure applied. Tough sanctions must be introduced against Azerbaijan, and light, symbolic sanctions will result in nothing,” Alfonsi concluded.