Luxembourg on Wednesday, doubled down on earlier calls, and urged Baku to release all Armenian prisoners of war.
“We urgently demand that Baku immediately release all prisoners of war and provide comprehensive information on the missing persons. Justice and humanity require the release of these people without delay, and it is a demand that the families get the answers they deserve,” said the speaker of the Luxembourg parliament, Claude Wiseler, in an address at the Armenian parliament on Wednesday.
Wiseler’s declaration comes less than a week after the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies unanimously adopted a measure expressing support for Armenia and called for the release of Armenian POWs by Azerbaijan, referencing a relevant order by the International Court of Justice issued last year.
The motion also condemned what it called “Azerbaijan’s unjust military operation” in Artsakh, which resulted in the forced exodus of more than 100,000 Armenians from Artsakh.
During his speech in Armenia’s parliament on Wednesday, Wiseler also echoed the sentiments voiced in the resolution about the displaced Artsakh Armenians.
“I am addressing you with a big, heavy heart, being aware of the tragic events that shook the Nagorno-Karabakh region. More than 100,000 Armenians were forcibly displaced as a result of the groundless and unjust military operations carried out by Azerbaijan on September 19, 2023,” Wiseler said.
“As guarantors of humanitarian values and fundamental rights, we cannot remain indifferent to this suffering. This event not only caused a large displacement, but also threatens the ancient and antique cultural values of Armenia. Churches, ancient monuments, tombstones are under the threat of destruction and decay, and we cannot remain indifferent to the erasure of Armenia’s identity and history,” he added.
Wiseler also reiterated calls for the need to define the status of Nagorno-Karabakh.
“Let me assure [you] that support for the people of Armenia remains unwavering and resolute. It was in this spirit that last year the parliament of Luxembourg adopted the third motion regarding the situation in Armenia. Our unanimous decision and vote was a testament to our shared values and determination to stand with you on the road to peace,” said the visiting parliament speaker.
The Azerbaijani Milli Majlis — parliament — was quick to condemn and protest Wiseler’s statements in Yerevan, calling them “biased and absurd.”
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Milli Majlis accused the Luxembourg parliament speaker of thwarting the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“There is no doubt that these interference attempts are aimed at preventing successful results in the peace process. We insist that the Parliament of Luxembourg and its President divert their ‘support’ elsewhere,” the Azerbaijani legislature’s statement said.
“We would like to remind the Armenian side that welcoming and supporting unilateral approaches, fabrications and lies of third parties outside the region to the processes taking place in the region do not benefit either the peace process or confidence-building steps,” the Milli Majlis warned.