People of Artsakh are in dire need of humanitarian protection - Serzh Sargsyan issues open letter to Donald Tusk

Third President Serzh Sargsyan has addressed an open a letter to President of the European People's Party (EPP) Donald Tusk, calling his attention to Azerbaijan's aggression against the civilians of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) and requesting an intervention in the humanitarian catastrophe:

The full text of the letter is below:  

Your Excellency,

Dear Donald,

I am writing to you, as a leading politician in Europe, to publicly and privately intervene to save the people of Nagorno-Karabakh – the Republic of Artsakh – from annihilation. 

The developments on the ground since your and EPP’s initial public interventions on September 27 and 28 – which are duly acknowledged – amount to a humanitarian catastrophe in the making. 

For 20 consecutive days, 150,000 people of a small and peaceful country that have been building their free and democratic homeland, are being subjected to relentless and brutal military aggression. An all-out warfare is waged against Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia by Azerbaijan and Turkey joined by jihadist mercenaries recruited in Syria and Libya, in an attempt to conquer Nagorno-Karabakh and subjugate its people, who have been continuously living on this land since antiquity. Assisted by Armenia, the people of Nagorno Karabakh are heroically resisting the savage onslaught of the Azerbaijani-Turkish-jihadist coalition, a resistance that takes a very heavy toll in terms of lost human lives - combatants and non-combatants alike. The land of Artsakh is being ravaged by the extraordinary amount of deadly ammunition, razing decades of development and hard-achieved progress.

The people of Artsakh are in dire need of humanitarian protection and assistance, as they continue to face this unspeakable barbarism.

This is a tragedy of epic proportions that unfolds before the eyes of the world, while efforts to halt the violence diplomatically are encountering Azerbaijani-Turkish intransigence and bellicose rhetoric. The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship, and chiefly Russia, are currently attempting to revive the mediation efforts, meanwhile the protection of civilian populations and their humanitarian needs remain largely unsolved. Nagorno Karabakh is becoming the ‘black hole’ of humanitarian protection in Europe. 

Today I am appealing to you, as a political leader who is able to awaken the European political community to address the humanitarian catastrophe endured by the people of Artsakh. 

I am sure you may recall that the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship has developed substantial body of conflict resolution proposals in the past decade, where the right of peoples to self-determination is enshrined as one of key principles for the political-diplomatic resolution. The right of peoples to self-determination has also been incorporated in the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed in the presence of the two of us in November 2017. The international community has to duly acknowledge that it was Azerbaijan to torpedo any potential peace deal every time we had been an inch away.

Dear Donald,

In my view, there are a number of possible ways that our EPP family can help address the present war, by choosing from a menu of potential engagements, starting with the above mentioned humanitarian initiatives,or promoting ceasefire implementation mechanisms, agreed upon in May 2016 in Vienna and reiterated in the recent deal mediated with personal efforts of Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia. Finally, the ideal goal of all these efforts shall be the international recognition of the remedial secession of Nagorno Karabakh Republic - on European and EU Member State national levels.

The Europe has to step up and support this state-building effort and contribute to the making of the Europe’s youngest state-to-be. Today, no force or logic, other than the diabolic genocidal logic can subjugate the people of Artsakh. They are determined to stay free or die for their civilization, their faith, their democratic values and their identity. A move to recognize the de-facto independence of this small nation can create a long overdue momentum for Nagorno Karabakh’s de jure international recognition, thus saving this proud people from the imminent slaughter. 

My reading of the situation is, that unless European political leaders, be that in the Government or opposition, step up in echoing either or all of the above suggested measures, we are doomed to witness a horrific tragedy. Appeasing Turkey as we see today will eventually yield to unstoppable onslaught of Turkish dictator to Europe – be that by threatening with refugee flow or exporting terrorism to new lands.

Thereby, as former President of Armenia and your friend, I am urging you to intervene with your firm voice of wisdom and call for action, to assist in any way possible and stand up for the safety and freedom of the people of Artsakh. 

I remain available for further communication and exchange of views by other means.

Please accept, Mr Tusk, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Serzh Sargsyan

Third President of Armenia (2008-2018)

President of the Republican Party of Armenia