Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Tánaiste. I will just underline that what we are dealing with here is a dictatorship in Azerbaijan that has not only trampled over the rights of its own people but continues to do so with the Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, including those who have been arrested without trial. Azerbaijan also continues to threaten Armenia.

As the Minister says, there have been attempts at normalisation and a peace treaty. There have been exchanges but what we are seeing is Azerbaijan making wild and false claims against Armenia. The presence of the EU observer force in the region has been able to damp down and quell these moves. The Armenian orientation towards Europe is definitely welcome. Armenia is doing what it can and making sacrifices in respect of some of its border villages to try to maintain peace. We should be doing everything we can to help it by increasing that presence.

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