Europe’s quest to construct a typical geopolitical function suffered a brand new blow on Thursday when Turkey and Azerbaijan skipped a serious summit, as tensions mounted over the Nagorno-Karabakh battle.
4 dozen European leaders — from European Union and NATO member states, in addition to their neighbours — have gathered in Granada for the third summit of the European Political Group (EPC).
However two invitees, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ally, Azerbaijan’s chief Ilham Aliyev, failed to show up, torpedoing efforts to deal with Europe’s newest safety disaster.
Leaders had hoped to host Aliyev’s first assembly with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan since Azerbaijan seized the breakaway area of Nagorno-Karabakh and triggered an exodus of ethnic Armenian civilians.
The 2 leaders have been to have been joined by EU council president Charles Michel, France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Olaf Scholz — however Azerbaijan rejected the format, accusing Europe of bias.
The EU recognises Azerbaijan’s sovereign declare on Nagorno-Karabakh however has criticised Baku’s use of pressure to resolve the dispute, which has led to a wave of refugees into Armenia.
France, particularly, has been outspoken, with Overseas Minister Catherine Colonna travelling to the Armenian capital, Yerevan, and promising to ship weapons to Pashinyan’s authorities.
– ‘It is a disgrace’ –
Azerbaijan is livid and desires Turkey’s Erdogan to function a mediator.
However Erdogan was not invited to hitch Macron and Scholz in mediating the talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and determined to skip your entire EPC summit.
“It is a disgrace that Azerbaijan is not right here and it is a disgrace that Turkey — which is the primary nation supporting Azerbaijan — shouldn’t be right here both,” EU international coverage chief Josep Borrell stated.
“We’re not going to have the ability to speak right here about one thing as critical as the truth that greater than 100,000 individuals have needed to depart their houses in a rush, working away from an act of army pressure.”
Arriving on the summit, Michel, who would have hosted the assembly, insisted: “The EU is a impartial mediator, with no agenda.”
However at the same time as he spoke, the European Parliament adopted a decision dubbing the exodus of ethnic Armenians “ethnic cleaning” and condemning “threats and violence dedicated by Azerbaijani troops”.
The decision, paired with a name for sanctions, may have no sensible impact however is certain to additional alienate Baku at a time when Europe is searching for unity to confront different crises.
Armenia’s Pashinyan, who turned as much as the summit and plans to carry bilateral talks with Macron and different EU leaders, expressed remorse that he wouldn’t meet Aliyev and signal a “turning level doc”.
In a social media publish, Sinan Ulgen — a former Turkish diplomat turned suppose tank skilled — stated western Europeans ought to actually not be shocked by Ankara and Baku’s response.
“It’s actually a bit odd for France to count on to play a mediating position within the Karabakh dispute after such a present of unmitigated help and solidarity with Armenia,” he stated.
However the jap boycott can also be a blow to the EPC, a fledgling discussion board designed to type the premise of a typical European geopolitical identification past the borders of the European Union.
“With out Turkey and Azerbaijan, the political group turns into extra narrowly European and appears extra anti-Putin, give or take just a few leaders,” stated Sebastien Maillard of the Institut Jacques Delors suppose tank.
“With out a Karabakh assembly, the agenda might flip to the migration disaster,” he stated.
– ‘Immigration crime’ –
Certainly, with the Caucasus battle falling down the EPC agenda, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni will push a plan for powerful motion on “organised immigration crime”.
The leaders will even meet Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is anxious to keep up robust European help for his nation’s battle to defend itself from the Russian invasion.
Political turmoil in Washington has known as into query continued US help for Kyiv and Zelensky, arriving on the summit, known as for Europe to stay united behind the marketing campaign.
jca-dc/hmw/acc/gil
Initially revealed as Turkey and Azerbaijan snub Europe summit over Karabakh tensions
