Open letter to the European Political Community
Open letter to the European Political Community
Paris, 30th of May, 2023
To the members of the European Political Community,
We are writing to you, the heads of state and government of 47 European countries, who are meeting in Chisinau on 1 June for the 2nd meeting of the European Political Community (EPC). This meeting, organized in one of the poorest countries in Europe, is a demonstration to the whole world of your shared desire to make the European continent a continent of peace, democracy, cooperation and solidarity.
As the leading pan-European party, with a presence in 31 European countries, Volt fully shares this objective and acts at all levels, from local to European, to build a sustainable, economically strong and socially just future with all the citizens of Europe.
Peace and the rule of law are the necessary conditions, but also the result of such construction and Volt supports the European Political Community in constructing the conditions for peace and stability across the continent.
The first meeting of the Community in Prague last October brought the President of Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia together around the same table, at the joint initiative of the President of the French Republic and the President of the European Council. Although the dialogue initiated between the two governments is continuing today, it has to be said that Azerbaijan continues to occupy a portion of Armenian territory in the Syunik region, in violation of international law, and to blockade the Latchine corridor, the only land link between the Republic of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, in violation of the ceasefire agreements and in defiance of humanitarian law. By depriving the 120,000 inhabitants of Nagorno-Karabakh of access to food, energy and medical care, and by fostering a climate of hatred and violence, Azerbaijan aims to discourage the Armenian population that has always lived in this territory and to conduct an ethnic cleansing that does not speak its name.
Europe, which recognised the genocide committed 108 years ago by the Ottoman Empire against its Armenian population, and which 30 years ago experienced wars and massacres perpetrated in the name of a policy of ethnic cleansing, must stop this deadly spiral and eradicate its causes by proposing a lasting peace settlement that guarantees the right of the Armenian community of Nagorno-Karabakh to self-determination and security, and that of the Republic of Armenia to respect for its internationally recognised borders.
We invite the European Political Community, in the name of the European values which it represents,
- to condemn in the strongest possible terms Azerbaijan's aggression of all kinds against the Armenian people,
- to demand that Azerbaijan allow the free passage of civilian populations through the Latchine corridor, in accordance with the order issued by the International Court of Justice on 22 February 2023,
- to make Azerbaijan's participation in the EPC conditional on its government's respect for the rule of law and European democratic standards, and on its engagement in good faith in negotiations with the democratically elected leaders of the Republic of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh with a view to a final equitable settlement
- to refer to itself or to the United Nations Security Council the question of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh and the security guarantees provided for its population, in the face of the inaction of the OSCE Minsk Group, paralyzed by the Russian Federation,
- to give its full support to the initiative taken by the European Union to deploy a civilian mission on the ground to demarcate the borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The meeting in Chisinau should send out a strong message of European unity, confidence in our shared values and the promotion of dialogue and cooperation as instruments for conflict resolution.
Sven Franck
Co-President of Volt France
Anne Chamayou
Co-President of Volt France
Co-signatories
Reinier van Lanschot, Co-president of Volt Europa
Carlo Giovanni Giudice, Co-president of Volt Belgium
Johanna Dirlewanger-Lücke, Co-president of Volt Belgium
Michael Holz, Co-president of Volt Sweden
Alexander Löf, Co-president of Volt Sweden
Ana Carvalho, Co-president of Volt Portugal
Duarte Costa, Co-president of Volt Portugal
Silvia Panini, non-executif member of Volt Italy
Danilo Lo Pumo, Co-president of Volt Switzerland
Roland Müller, Co-president of Volt Switzerland
Ivan Ota, Treasurer of Volt Switzerland
Ina Hoogeland, Co-president of Volt Denmark
Frederik Larsen, Co-president of Volt Denmark
Alexia DeBono, Co-president of Volt Malta
Arnas Lasys, Co-president of Volt Malta
About Volt
As the first truly pan-European party, Volt is committed to reforming the European Union and responding to today's challenges in a coordinated way at European level. Volt's vision: a progressive Europe with an inclusive society, a climate-friendly economy, an adaptable education system and self-determined digitalisation.
Volt is convinced that only the democratic participation of all European citizens will prepare us for a sustainable, economically strong and socially just future. This is why Volt acts at all levels - from local to European, as a movement and as a party. The movement gives everyone a voice and the opportunity to engage politically from within society. Today, Volt is present all over Europe: thousands of people of all ages and professions are involved in 30 European countries with teams in hundreds of cities.
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Contact
Sven Franck - Co-President of Volt France
Mail : sven.franck@volteuropa.org
Valérie Chartrain - Responsible External relations
Mail : valerie.chartrain@volteuropa.org
Updated the 30th of May, 2023 Photo from https://euneighbourseast.eu/
