Yerevan /Mediamax/. President of the European Council Charles Michel stated that he is "extremely disappointed” by the decision that was taken by Azerbaijan and has expressed that "very firmly” to President Aliyev.

Michel told Euronews’ Global Conversation that peace will require “a negotiation that can pin down commitments from both sides” although “there is a great responsibility on the side of Azerbaijan, which launched this military operation.”

“It’s now up to Azerbaijan to show goodwill by engaging while respecting international law to protect the rights and security of the entire population that lives in Azerbaijan, including the Armenian population,” he added.

Charles Michel refrained from labelling the forced exodus of the Nagorno-Karabakh population as an attempt of ethnic cleansing.

“It’s true that the immense majority of the Armenian population has left the region and probably in fear of how they will be considered by the Azerbaijani authorities. A large part is now in Armenia, and that’s why the EU must deliver humanitarian aid,” he said.

The European Council president noted that Baku remains an EU partner despite its brazen attack.

“Azerbaijan is a partner today, yes, it’s a partner. That doesn’t mean the relationship is simple. No, it’s not simple. Are there difficulties? Yes, and these difficulties are real and should be understood,” he explained.

At the same time he denied that the EU had “turned a blind eye” to signs of hostilities when EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed Baku a “trustworthy” partner in 2022, striking a deal to double EU imports of Azerbaijani gas by 2027 in a bid to wean off Russian fossil fuel imports.

“I understand the argument, but it’s not correct. We showed Europe’s ability to very quickly diversify energy supplies following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and therefore we now have many options in terms of energy supplies,” Michel said.