Azerbaijan Angered by European Parliament Resolution; EU Ambassador Summoned, Ties Suspended

BAKU — On May 1, the European Union’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Mariana Kuyunchich, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs following the adoption of a European Parliament resolution concerning Armenia.

The resolution triggered strong backlash from official Baku. In a statement, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said it “strongly condemns the unfounded and biased provisions” of the resolution adopted by the European Parliament and that a formal protest note had been delivered to the ambassador.

The resolution, titled “Support for Democratic Resilience in Armenia,” reaffirmed backing for the rights of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, including the protection of their identity, property, and cultural heritage, as well as their right to a safe, unimpeded, and dignified return. It also condemned the detention of Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan and called for their immediate release.

Azerbaijan, however, maintains that Armenians left Nagorno-Karabakh voluntarily, denies the destruction of cultural heritage, and claims that prisoners of war have already been released—stating that only individuals accused of serious crimes remain in custody.

At the same time, Azerbaijani media report that the country has decided to suspend all ties between the Milli Majlis (parliament) and the European Parliament. A process has also been initiated to terminate Azerbaijan’s participation in the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly.

Speaker of Parliament Sahiba Gafarova stated that relations had previously been suspended due to what Azerbaijan described as biased documents adopted by the European Parliament, but were later restored in September 2016 following diplomatic efforts.

“Unfortunately, the past 10 years have shown that the European Parliament is not willing to abandon its biased approach toward Azerbaijan,” Gafarova said, adding that the restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity has further intensified actions against the country. She also announced that the parliament will adopt a document addressing what it calls the European Parliament’s “anti-Azerbaijani activities.”