The most recent outbreak of fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan has seen more than one hundred confirmed deaths and more wounded. Military forces of both countries are in conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region and surrounding regions. As a result, more people become displaced, either as refugees or internally displaced persons (IDPs). It is these people, and every citizen, the international community must protect. 

As Young Greens, we join the Peace Statement. “The main victim of this war is not an objective truth. It destroys the lives of real people, real children. It is becoming a losing battle for the entire South Caucasus region. Defending peace is not a neutral position. We reject the militarist positions conditioned by narratives of war and instead seek pathways to build peace.”

We ask the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan to:

• Understand that sustainable peace can never be reached through violence,
• Realize the negative consequences of conflict and war on those people who are longing for safety, security and peace,
• Prioritize the needs of different marginalized groups, including displaced people – women and children Pursue a common agenda for peace with respect of human rights.

We ask the government of Turkey to:

• Abandon hostile rhetoric that adversely affects Armenians living in Turkey,
• Stop escalating the conflict and glorifying the war for inner political gains
• Not provide military support to Azerbaijan,

We ask the government of Georgia to:

• Stay utterly neutral in the conflict
• Not allow transit of the military equipment through Georgia to either Armenia or Azerbaijan

We ask the government of Russia to:

• Stay utterly neutral in the conflict
• Not provide military support to Armenia

We ask the European Union to:

• Closely monitor the situation and condemn any act of violence against peaceful citizens, destructions of villages and towns,
• Suggest peacebuilding tools for post-conflict processes (applied to macro-level distinction, predominantly) to Armenia and Azerbaijan,
• Allocate more financial resources on inclusive, participatory peace advocacy in Armenia and Azerbaijan,
• Prepare a realistic plan for the peace process, persuade both parties to employ the proposed plan and closely monitor the implementation of the plan,
• Reiterate the decision of European Court of Human Rights on 06 October 2020, asking all States directly or indirectly involved in the conflict, including Turkey, to refrain from actions that contribute to breaches of the European Convention on Human Rights, and to respect their obligations under the Convention.

Global Young Greens, Federation of Young European Greens, Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe.