News - Canada FM not ruling out sanctions against Azerbaijan because of Karabakh

On Tuesday, when pressed by opposition members about sanctioning Azerbaijan, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly told the House of Commons that "everything is on the table," CBC News reported. "When it comes to sanctions, we always want to act together with other countries because it is important to put pressure on the concerned country," she said. "Use of sanctions is something that can be very efficient. "We have been following this very closely and we continue to call on Azerbaijan to stop the hostilities. There must be freedom of movement for humanitarian supplies and aid, and civilians must be protected." Joly added all parties involved in the 2020 ceasefire agreement must honor their commitments and said she has raised these issues at international bodies, including the United Nations General Assembly last week. She said Canada firmly supports a comprehensive peace treaty, adding Ottawa has committed to sending two experts to a recently launched European Union peacekeeping mission in Armenia. Canadian lawmakers are calling on the PM Justin Trudeau government to impose sanctions on Azerbaijan in response to its military incursion into Nagorno-Karabakh last week. "We recognize that Canada doesn't play a huge role in this [geographical] area. But this is something we can do, this is something the Canadian government can do, to express our dismay, to express that we are seeing civilians being targeted," Canadian MP Heather McPherson told CBC News. She and fellow MP Alexandre Boulerice last week co-authored a letter to Canadian FM Melanie Joly pushing for sanctions. "As you know, there is no military solution to this conflict. Only diplomatic pressure and comprehensive dialogue will result in a long-term solution," the MPs wrote, adding the Canadian government should consider "targeted sanctions on Azerbaijani individuals and entities responsible for violations of international law and human rights abuses in the region." "Canada's sanctions regime has its faults," said Canadian lawmaker Stephane Bergeron during a debate in the House of Commons on Tuesday. "But it is an efficient way to place pressure on foreign governments. "What are we waiting for to sanction Azerbaijan for its inadmissible behavior toward not only Armenia, but its civilian population of Nagorno-Karabakh?"