EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Várhelyi yesterday said despite its increasing energy sector cooperation with Azerbaijan, the European Union will continue to advocate for human tights and the rule of law in its dialog with Baku.

Várhelyi, at a European Parliament plenary session on EU-Azerbaijan relations, said while Azerbaijan is an important partner for the EU, the human rights situation and the respect of rule of law in Azerbaijan remain of concern.

He said the EU seeks to “contribute to a stable, peaceful and prosperous South Caucasus” and “continues to fully support the facilitation of the dialogue between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia on all issues pertaining to the peace process, including on a future peace treaty and border delimitation.”

Várhelyi called on Yerevan and Baku “to use the historic opportunity to solve this conflict for good, and to return to substantial dialogue. Many important questions need addressing urgently.”

He called for an investigation of the March 6 firefight on the Karabakh Line of Contact when Azerbaijani soldiers attacked an Artsakh police van.

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry claimed the van was transporting weapons from Armenia and that its soldiers tried to stop and check the vans, and that the Artsakh officers opened fire.