Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) denounced the EU’s inaction in response to the unfolding Nagorno-Karabakh crisis on Wednesday, calling on the bloc to impose economic sanctions on Azerbaijan.
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00:00 Members of the European Parliament`s Foreign Affairs Committee are demanding EU sanctions
00:06 against Azerbaijan after the country carried out a one-day military attack in the Nagorno-Karabakh
00:12 region.
00:13 MEPs condemned the violence and called for swiftly adopted punitive measures, including
00:18 the cutting off of gas imports from Baku.
00:23 And I think that's very positive that the European Parliament is largely united on these
00:30 issues.
00:31 From ECR to the Greens or the other way around, including all the other democratic groups,
00:37 we have taken the same position.
00:41 Indeed, the EU should act and sanctions, including the stopping of importation of gas, should
00:53 be steps that we take.
00:57 Many MEPs recalled that last July, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
01:01 visited Azerbaijan for gas talks, where she praised the country as a reliable partner.
01:07 You are indeed a crucial energy partner for us and you have always been reliable.
01:13 For French MEP Nathalie Loiseau, EU leaders ignored past warnings about Azeri leadership
01:18 aims in the region.
01:20 She called for a tougher line with Baku.
01:23 This is at the same time as the EU`s diplomatic efforts to mediate between Azerbaijan and
01:27 Armenia were failing.
01:30 I am calling the member states to realize what they have not done and to take action
01:35 rapidly, swiftly, because their weakness and absence of action has been understood by Aliyev
01:42 as a green light to move forward and listen to what he says, listen to what his ministers
01:49 say.
01:50 They don't want only to have Nagorno-Karabakh on its knees.
01:55 They are not even talking about Armenia now.
01:58 They call it Western Azerbaijan.
02:01 What other catastrophe are we waiting for before we take action?
02:06 A ceasefire between the two sides was allegedly reached on Wednesday.
02:10 But a European Commission spokesperson says that any kind of sanctions against Azerbaijan
02:14 would need the unanimous support of all 27 EU member states.
02:18 Thank you.
02:21 (whooshing)
02:23 (whooshing)