Tural Ganjaliyev: EU countries aren’t easily accepting new reality in region

The EU member countries aren’t “easily accepting” the new reality that arose in the South Caucasus region after the Second Karabakh War and the victory of Azerbaijan, MP Tural Ganjaliyev was quoted as saying in an article by EU Reporter, Report informs.

“Before we restored our independence, some of our partners were saying they were for the entire territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan. But what we have seen after the 2020 war and after the September developments is that countries in the European Union are not easily accepting the new reality, which is very surprising for us,” he said.

Touching upon the issue of the return of ethnic Armenians to Karabakh, Ganjaliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan is a multi-ethnic country.

“The Azerbaijani government has launched a website for Armenians who had left Karabakh to register to return but Armenia has blocked it. We hope the Armenians will come back,” he added. “We also ask the Armenian authorities to establish a way for the 300,000 Azerbaijanis who were expelled in the 1980s to come back, it should be a two-way street.”

He was joined by Vugar Bayramov, a member of the parliamentary committee for Economic Policy, Industries and Enterprise. He said an end to conflict could have a massively positive impact not only on the economies of Azerbaijan and Armenia but also Georgia because the three countries of the South Caucasus could form a strong single market.

“If there is communication between Azerbaijan and Armenia, then of course, it will ensure a lasting and sustainable peace for the region,” he said.