Azerbaijan: Sharp Rift with European Parliament over Nagorno-Karabakh, Ties with Commission Remain Steady

Azerbaijan announced the suspension of institutional cooperation with the European Parliament on May 1, accusing Brussels of interfering in its sovereignty regarding Nagorno-Karabakh.

This decision came after the European Parliament adopted a resolution concerning the situation in the region following the conflict, which harshly criticizes Baku for its treatment of Armenian detainees, the rights of displaced Armenians, and the protection of Armenian cultural and religious heritage.

Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory long disputed between Armenia and Azerbaijan, was brought fully under Azerbaijani control through a military operation in 2023. This operation triggered the mass exodus of approximately 100,000 Armenians from the area.

Although the suspension marks a serious deterioration in relations between Baku and the European Parliament, its broader political impact is expected to be limited. The suspension concerns only parliamentary channels and does not affect the European Commission, with which Azerbaijan maintains close and strategically important relations, especially in the energy sector.

Since 2022, the Commission has strengthened cooperation with Azerbaijan as part of the European Union’s effort to reduce its dependence on Russian gas following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Azerbaijan has emerged as a key alternative supplier, with energy agreements and infrastructure discussions placing it at the center of the EU’s external diversification strategy.

In practice, while relations with the European Parliament have severely worsened, cooperation with the EU’s executive bodies remains close and strategically prioritized by both sides.

The immediate trigger for the suspension was the European Parliament’s resolution on Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, adopted in late April. Supported by a broad cross-party majority, the text reaffirmed its support for the rights of displaced Armenians following Azerbaijan’s takeover of the region, including their right to return.

Furthermore, it called for the release of Armenian detainees held in Azerbaijani prisons or, at minimum, full guarantees of fair trial and due process. MEPs also demanded stronger protection of the Armenian cultural and religious heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh, which many observers consider to be at risk.

Recently, images and reports have circulated showing the destruction of Armenian churches and political and religious sites by Azerbaijani authorities. Baku defended these actions, arguing that some of the structures were built during what it terms the “occupation” by Armenians and thus should be removed.

Although the resolution is non-binding, it carries significant symbolic weight and is widely seen in Baku as the immediate cause of the diplomatic rupture. Azerbaijani officials strongly rejected the text, claiming that the European Parliament’s positions have grown increasingly hostile and politically motivated. They accused the EU legislative body of interfering in Azerbaijan’s internal affairs and violating the country’s sovereignty.

In its official statement, the Azerbaijani parliament accused the European Parliament of abandoning democratic values and described it as a body in which “corruption and bribery have taken deep root.” It further claimed that the institution “serves lobby groups and various interest circles” and had become a structure where “Azerbaijanophobia and Islamophobia are continuously expressed.”

As a result, the Azerbaijani parliament decided to suspend its cooperation with the European Parliament “in all directions” and initiated the process of terminating its participation in the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly.

In practice, this decision freezes official parliamentary channels between Azerbaijan and the European Parliament, including bilateral parliamentary cooperation meetings and structured interparliamentary dialogue.

While executive-level contacts with EU institutions remain in place, the suspension removes the primary institutional platform for direct political engagement between lawmakers. The European Parliament has not announced any comparable countermeasures.

Despite the parliamentary dispute, analysts believe that the EU is unlikely to take specific disciplinary measures against Azerbaijan. This is mainly due to two factors. First, the strategic relationship between Baku and the European Commission remains grounded in Europe’s need for non-Russian gas. Second, ongoing peaceful negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan are reshaping the regional balance in the South Caucasus.

The current Armenian government is openly pro-European and has sought to pivot away from Russia, with which Armenia remains historically and institutionally linked as part of the post-Soviet space.

Yerevan has signaled its intention to move beyond the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute to facilitate a peaceful agreement, essentially recognizing Azerbaijan’s sovereignty over the area, while pursuing a broader geopolitical realignment away from Moscow.

This direction is actively supported by the European Union, which appears to prioritize Armenia’s gradual integration with European structures rather than reigniting the conflict with Azerbaijan over Karabakh.

This approach is contested by large segments of the Armenian opposition, many of which are pro-Russian and seek to bring the Karabakh issue back to the forefront of the political agenda ahead of upcoming elections.

Within this context, EU policy is expected to remain focused on stabilization and long-term alignment, rather than escalation. Consequently, the European Parliament’s stance is likely to remain largely declarative, with limited prospects of translating into concrete EU policy against Azerbaijan.