Double Standards Can Harm EU-Azerbaijan Relations - MFA

Baku/30.01.21/Turan: The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry commented on the statement of the European Union press secretary in connection with the release of five Armenian soldiers.

It should be noted that the European Union, as spokesman for the European External Relations Service Peter Stano wrote on Twitter, welcoming the return of 5 prisoners to Armenia, called on Azerbaijan to "immediately release the remaining 57 people."

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry expressed surprise at this statement by the EU official representative and drew attention to the fact that when Azerbaijani civilians Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev were in captivity in Armenia for almost 7 years, the EU showed indifference to their fate.

The EU has not yet responded to the fact that during the recent military operations Armenia used Smerch missiles against civilians in Azerbaijan, as a result of which more than 100 civilians were killed.

There was no reaction in connection with the more than 4 thousand citizens of Azerbaijan missing in the first Karabakh war, the Foreign Ministry said.

The Foreign Ministry reminded the EU that "62 people purposefully brought to the area of Azerbaijan liberated from the occupation are not prisoners of war."

“These are the Armenian servicemen who were sent to the territory of Azerbaijan almost 20 days after the signing of the trilateral statement on the cessation of hostilities. They invaded the territory where the Azerbaijani Army was located. As a result of the terrorist acts committed by this terrorist and sabotage group, Azerbaijani servicemen Turan Aliyev, Rahil Akbarov, Hajirza Rzayev, and Rahib Azizov were killed, and a civilian, Seymur Rzayev, was seriously wounded,” the press release says.

Therefore, these persons are not considered prisoners of war either under international humanitarian law or according to any convention, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry noted.

In accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan, they were brought to criminal responsibility as persons accused of committing terrorist acts.

Such statements addressed to Azerbaijan by the EU representative are "unacceptable" and Baku accepts only "equal relations".

"Such a one-sided approach based on double standards can harm the relations between the EU and Azerbaijan," the press release of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said. -06B--