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“On the heads and shoulders of innocent civilians, and also of soldiers, there was an attack by a full-authoritarian state”, – commenting on Azerbaijan’s recent full-scale military offensive against NKR/Republic of Artsakh said Hans-Juergen Zahorka – Chief Editor of European Union Foreign Affairs Journal (EUFAJ) and former Member of European Parliament (Germany) in an interview with Nvard Chalikyan from Panorama.am.

Speaking about the reasons behind this aggression of Azerbaijan Mr. Zahorka characterized it as “highly irrational”. As for the role of Turkey in reigniting this conflict, he said, “It is possible that this activity may have been coordinated with the Turkish president. If this turns true, then the EU and NATO have to discuss it. Any further approximation by Turkey with the EU, if any, will be measured more and more in line with the Turkish-Armenia and Turkish-Azerbaijani questions. Let us see what will come out in the next session of the European Parliament on Azerbaijan – I think the clear demand of sanctions may be possible, as it was already once a subject of an EP resolution”.

Mr. Zahorka also emphasized the fact that Azerbaijan, unlike NKR and Republic of Armenia is an autocratic state. 

“[t]o put it clear: Armenia is by far a more open society than Azerbaijan, which is fully corrupt and has much less press freedom – see the latest reports on the Panama Papers  and how the Aliev family is busy in offshore companies. With this war, the head of the Azerbaijani state permits the powderization of many million Euros of his state's money, and this in view of the poverty in his country. At the same time, the Azeri side violates international law and uses force, thus placing itself clearly on the uncivilized side. How else you can name war crimes of beheading young soldiers!”, - said Mr. Zahorka.

Recalling the military rhetoric of Azerbaijan which for years has been openly threatening to occupy Nagorno Karabakh by force, the former MEP said that the EU’s silence on such war talk was a grave mistake.

“Since long, we know about the war talk by Azerbaijani ministers and army commanders who always repeat that "now" or "soon" Nagorno-Karabakh has to be "liberated". Let me first of all mention that people in Nagorno-Karabakh are more free than in Azerbaijan, and I was in both and have contacts to people from both sides. In my humble opinion, it is a grave mistake that the EU did not take this talk of Azerbaijan seriously. But we are not accustomed to this kind of talking; we just don't take it seriously. However, if you are silent on it, you encourage it. And in this context, a stroke on the table would have been well-placed. It is not too late”, – he said.

Speaking about whether or not Azerbaijan’s oil factor is important for Europe, the EUFAJ editor said, “We do not need Azerbaijani oil and gas, at least on the middle-term. All European car drivers talk and think of an electric car. And this would also help the Azeri economy in the necessary transition.”
As for the long-term solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Mr. Zahorka believes such a solution can be found if it is based on peoples’ right to self-determination and if there is a change of government in Azerbaijan and in Turkey.  

“All this is very difficult, and there is, once more, no long-term military solution, except a bilaterally accepted settlement. As this had to be calculated by the Azeri armed forces, it induces the conclusion that they were sending their own people to death. There won't be an immediate political solution either, but based on the self-determination right of peoples I am sure that a long-lasting peace treaty is possible, but with a rational-thinking Azerbaijan government, which would be less corrupt, which would keep its word about ceasefires, and which would not have a strange "uncle" in Ankara but a rational-thinking and responsible statesmen. All this requires the changes of governments in Baku, but also in Ankara. Still a long way to go – but perhaps not even so long – many regimes had to go after a failed attempt to exercise force on other countries”, – said Hans-Juergen Zahorka.

Interview by Nvard Chalikyan