The European Parliament held a plenary session Thursday commemorating the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, with numerous Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) drawing stark parallels between the historical tragedy and the recent forced displacement of ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, informs the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD).

MEPs passionately called for recognition by Turkey and Azerbaijan as a crucial step towards reconciliation and strongly criticized the European Union’s continued engagement with Azerbaijan despite its actions.

"The only path to achieve normalization of relations is to recognize and work on recognition. Recognition and reconciliation need courage to confront the past and build a future on historical truth. Most important today with hundreds of thousands displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh because of atrocities committed by Azerbaijan," said Miriam Lexmann of the European People's Party group.

Yannis Maniatis of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats group recounted his family’s tragic experience in the Ottoman Empire.

“Reminds us of recent events in Nagorno-Karabakh where hundreds of thousands were forced to leave their homes, suffering a systematic destruction of their cultural monuments, this is a painful reminder that without memory and recognition the past will repeat itself,” he stressed.

During the session, MEPs reaffirmed that the ethnic cleansing that took place in Nagorno-Karabakh is unacceptable and called for a more consistent and principled EU foreign policy that prioritizes human rights and international law over economic interests.