Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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On 12 December 2022 we saw the closure of the Lachin corridor, a small humanitarian corridor which was the only route into the Republic of Artsakh, in which ethnic Armenians live. This was closed by the Government of Azerbaijan. This act of closing the Lachin corridor was described by the International Court of Justice as a breach of international law. It also flew in the face of well-established European Court of Human Rights norms on collective punishment. The closure led to a cruel and deliberate forced starvation of a civilian population. There was the denial of food and medication. As I have said, it was collective punishment of an innocent civilian population that was left to rot and starve in scenes reminiscent of the Armenian genocide of 1915. This is a genocide that we refuse to recognise in this country, despite many other countries moving to this way. Many of the countries that had diplomats there at that time described very clearly the genocide.

In recent weeks, unbelievably, this situation has managed to get worse. We have seen open attacks on civilian populations. We have seen 100,000 people displaced in what is essentially ethnic cleansing. In the war in the Nagorno-Karabakh area in 2020, the Azerbaijani Government proceeded to scrub any evidence there had ever been an Armenian culture in areas that they captured. Churches that dated back to the 4th century, some of the earliest Christian churches anywhere in the world, were wiped out. They were simply reduced to dust that was left to blow away. This is more than ethnic cleansing. This is an attempt to eradicate not only an entire people in a region but also any record or any history that they were there, including their churches, their writing, their culture, their buildings and their homes. They were all utterly demolished.

What we saw in the war in 2020 was barbaric treatment of captured soldiers and captured civilians. We now have an International Court of Justice ruling that clearly states what we are witnessing is a breach of international law. We have European Court of Human Rights interim measures from September that ordered Azerbaijan to refrain from collective punishment and to respect the right to life, something the Azerbaijani Government has utterly failed to do.

We have moved beyond ethnic cleansing. Once again we are moving into the realm of genocide. It is not only about destroying the people who are there but destroying any memory that they were even there to begin with. What will we do to uphold international law? We have two rulings, which is a rarity in these situations, from the International Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights. What will we do to make international law real? Will we say that crimes of aggression are totally acceptable if the country is providing us with gas? What will we do to provide help and support for those people who have been internally displaced? There are 100,000 people who are starting their lives afresh.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. The situation in Nagorno-Karabakh remains a matter of the gravest concern, particularly in light of the fallout from the military action initiated by Azerbaijan in the region on 19 September. Ensuring the welfare and protection of civilians who remain there, as well as of those who have fled to Armenia, including through the facilitation of humanitarian access where there are needs, remains at the core of Ireland's response.

We continue to co-ordinate closely with our EU partners in this regard. These most recent developments follow a particularly difficult and traumatic ten-month period during which the movement of people, goods and vehicles from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh via the Lachin corridor has been obstructed by Azerbaijan. This land corridor was considered a lifeline for the Karabakh Armenians. I emphasised Ireland’s concerns regarding the impact of the ongoing obstruction of movement on civilians during my call with the Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Mirzoyan, on 11 August, which he sought.

The situation has since deteriorated, as the Deputy said, following Azerbaijan’s military escalation on 19 September. Ireland has been vocal in its condemnation of this action, amplifying the respective statements of High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Mr. Josep Borrell, on 19 and 21 September, and co-ordinating closely with our European Union partners in the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, OSCE, and at the United Nations. We also expressed our concerns regarding the situation in our national statement at the Human Rights Council in Geneva on 26 September.

There have been recent meetings between Baku and the Karabakh Armenians, and we reiterate our call for a genuine, comprehensive and transparent dialogue to ensure that the rights and security of the Karabakh Armenians are protected. I also welcome that a United Nations mission arrived in the region on 1 October to report on the situation.

We are all particularly alarmed at reports of the mass exodus of Karabakh Armenians that is currently taking place from the region, with more than 100,000 of the 120,000-population reported as having left Nagorno-Karabakh for Armenia to date. It is heartbreaking to see men, women and children of all ages leaving and taking what they can from their homes with them.

Azerbaijan bears responsibility for the rights and security of the local population, including the right to remain in their homes without fear of intimidation as well as the right to return for those displaced. Ireland is actively supporting the humanitarian response through the Start Fund and People in Need, whose representatives are on the ground assisting vulnerable people displaced by the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. Ireland’s support will ensure people fleeing Nagorno-Karabakh have access to essential basic goods and services. Ireland also provides significant core funding to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, and the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC, which are playing a large part in the response.

The European Commission has announced an additional package of humanitarian aid of €5.2 million on top of the €20.8 million already provided since 2020 to support vulnerable people remaining in Nagorno-Karabakh, and those who have been displaced. The European Union is also playing an active role in efforts to resolve the long-standing conflict in the region. European Council President Michel has been personally involved in efforts to de-escalate the situation.

On 26 September, the European Union facilitated discussion between Armenian and Azerbaijani officials with a view to preparing for the next meeting at leader level, which we hope will take place as soon as possible. We hope that this week’s meeting of the European Political Community may provide an opportunity to advance diplomatic efforts. Ireland fully supports President Michel and EU Special Representative Klaar in their efforts to facilitate dialogue to build a lasting, comprehensive peace in the region. Ireland also fully supports the European Union mission to Armenia, which was established in January of this year. The mission is tasked with monitoring the situation in conflict-affected and border areas in Armenia to reduce the level of risks for the population and to contribute to the normalisation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the ground.

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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The news of funding and the humanitarian aid and effort is very welcome, and I know it will go a long way on the ground. It highlights another issue in that now there is a UN mission on the ground where there was not before and the UNHRC is getting involved whereas before there was a threadbare presence from the Red Cross. That was essentially all that was able to get into the region, which allowed Azerbaijan to be able to escalate its violence and brutality.

One of the things I find frustrating around this is essentially the double standard. The Minister will have heard this from many Deputies in this Chamber with regard to Palestine but, certainly, we have here a country that has committed a crime of aggression, deliberately targeted civilians, starved them and denied them medication. It is committing ethnic cleansing and has perhaps even gone so far as genocide given that it is wiping out even any memory of these populations. They are wildly corrupt. The Azerbaijani laundromat has undermined European democracy as well. It is all about hiding internal human rights abuses. Yet, I doubt we would give the Russians, who have been at similar things, a warm reception in this Chamber. It is quite frustrating when we see the Azerbaijani Government committing the exact same breaches of international law and human rights abuses being given a warm welcome here.

Ultimately, though, we need to get more involved in this region, whether that is through us or through our European Union colleagues. This region is a neighbourhood of ours. It is a region that has been deeply troubled and destabilised through Russian efforts in many ways. Armenia itself is a country that seeks to build deeper relations with Ireland and trade with Ireland and the European Union. I would welcome if the Minister could perhaps give us an update after these various EU meetings at which there will be discussions both in meetings with European colleagues and, I understand, at side meetings as well. The Minister might come back or write to me afterwards with a further update with regard to those.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. Our priority is and will remain the safety of the local population and the humanitarian situation on the ground. Our focus right now is on doing that as best we can. We call for full compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law. The issues the Deputy raised in terms of the protection of civilians are still open to countries to take action on in respect of international accords and various accountability measures.

On 23 October, there will be a further meeting with the EU foreign ministers. The EU has been very genuinely engaged in trying to prevent all this from happening and, unfortunately, that has not been successful. At the very first European Political Community meeting, as it is called, President Macron brought both the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia together early in the morning. He thought he had a resolution at that stage or a cessation and some pathway to peace. The President of the European Council, Mr. Charles Michel, has been brokering with President Macron attempts at ceasefires and resolution of the conflict. Unfortunately, the European Union has been clear with Azerbaijan that there should not have been an escalation and that it should not have done what it did. There is no question, of course, that it was shocking. There was no need for that brutality against the population of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The issue was discussed at the meeting of the permanent council of the OSCE, which has always had a standing brief here. We met with the OSCE recently. There was a meeting on 28 September in Vienna and the meeting of the European Union's Political and Security Committee was held in Brussels earlier today. There are ongoing meetings. I know the French minister is on her way there as well. As I said, there will be a meeting on 23 October. The European Union wants to facilitate dialogue to prevent further violence. There has to be genuine dialogue between Baku and the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh. We will work with our EU colleagues on trying to facilitate a lasting reconciliation process here.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I noticed that Deputy Costello made an oblique reference to the welcome the Azerbaijani delegation received here last week. I want to bring to the Deputy's attention that the Azerbaijani delegation and the Armenian delegation were both in Dublin to attend the conference of European Parliament Speakers and Presidents, which 430 delegates from all around Europe attended. I had the opportunity to meet with both the Azerbaijani and Armenian speakers. In my engagement with them, I pointed out Ireland's total long-term commitment to peaceful negotiated settlements to international disputes. Insofar as their being welcomed in the Chamber is concerned, the Azerbaijani delegation asked if they could come to the Chamber and given that normal diplomatic relations with that country are still in place, it was normal common courtesy that they would be allowed to attend.

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It was further normal common courtesy that they would be welcomed. I just wish to set the record straight on that matter.