BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 19. The Western Azerbaijan Community, representing Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia, strongly condemns the anti-Azerbaijani statement made by the European Union (EU) at the meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the European Council, the Community said, TurkicWorld reports.

"First of all, we emphasize that by making this shameful statement on October 18, the Day of Restoration of Azerbaijan's State Independence, the EU symbolically expressed its biased attitude towards our country and people," the Western Azerbaijan Community said.

The Community noted that the EU document is biased and discriminatory; it hinders peace and justifies the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Armenia.

"We would like to emphasize that by recognizing the right of only Karabakh Armenians to return and denying this right to Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia, the EU has openly demonstrated a discriminatory approach to Azerbaijanis on ethnic grounds.

The Western Azerbaijan Community is also concerned by the EU's demand for amnesty for "all Karabakh Armenians", despite the numerous war crimes Armenia committed during the conflict. Granting amnesty for war crimes not only violates the principles of justice and accountability, but also, by creating an atmosphere of impunity, makes sustainable peace and reconciliation in the region impossible. The EU's demand for amnesty for war crimes and crimes against humanity demonstrates the incipient racist mentality and erosion of humanistic values within the entity, as well as its lack of interest in establishing peace and justice in the region.

"Moreover, while the statement calls on Azerbaijan to protect the human rights and cultural heritage of the local population, it does not call for Armenia's responsibility with regard to the rights and cultural heritage of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia and the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. This is yet another proof of the EU's biased and anti-Azerbaijani approach," the Community noted.

The Community emphasized that while the EU's statement calls on Azerbaijan to reaffirm its commitment to Armenia's territorial integrity, Armenia itself is not called upon to do the same. Given the fact that Armenia has kept the territories of Azerbaijan under occupation for decades and the EU has turned a blind eye, with this call, the EU is actually encouraging Armenia to engage in the next military aggression against Azerbaijan.

"This statement and the position demonstrated by the EU recently have undermined its credibility and role as a partner for peace. We call on the EU to abandon its anti-Azerbaijani approach and to respect the principle of equality of people in terms of rights and dignity, as well as the principles of sovereign equality of states and the right to return Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia," the Western Azerbaijan Community added.