German magazine Junge Freiheit has interviewed German ECR MEP Lars Patrick Berg, who is just back from an official European Parliament trip to Armenia. The delegation of MEPs has travelled to Armenia to express solidarity with the country and to get a picture of the current situation on the ground.
The article describes how MEP Berg (second from the left on the picture) has been meeting with Catholicos Karekin II, the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church (to the right on the picture) and how “in the library of his monastery, His Holiness Karekin II, has books that go far back into antiquity.”
“We have no way of defending ourselves,” the patriarch is quoted, stressing to the MEPs that all they really want is to be able to live in peace.
"MEPs issue warning about ethnic cleansing in Armenia" – check out this new article on European Neighbourhood Monitor: https://t.co/DkQZxjV1im@SonaGhazaryan10 @real_armenia @NikolPashinyan pic.twitter.com/v7x8zCcEBM
— Lars Patrick Berg MdEP (@L_P_Berg) November 15, 2022
MEP Lars-Patrick Berg is quoted saying:
“Germany has so far been very reluctant to get involved in the has been very reserved in its engagement in the South Caucasus.”
Yet, he acts the region, as a “link between Europe and Europe and Asia”, is of “geopolitical importance”, especially from an energy and trade perspective. He therefore urges the EU to become more active in Armenia, given how Russia has been weakened by the war in Ukraine and how Turkey is acting “aggressively” in alliance with Azerbaijan.
Berg thereby slams the von der Leyen Commission:
“The gas deal of the EU Commission with Azerbaijan has destroyed a lot of trust in Armenia.”
"The @EU_Commission ‘s gas deal with #Azerbaijan has destroyed a lot of trust in #Armenia," @L_P_Berg
"I think the gas deal with Azerbaijan is a serious mistake." @petervdalen @vonderleyen @eucopresident @KadriSimson still continue supporting #dictatoraliyev 👎👎#NoToAzeriGas— Mer-Sed 🇦🇲 (@sed_mer) November 29, 2022