Peace Agreement Must Guarantee Armenia's Territorial Integrity, European Council Report

In a recent report on relations between Armenia and the European Union, prepared by the Foreign Affairs Committee and adopted on Thursday, EU lawmakers strongly condemn Azerbaijan's large-scale military attack on Armenia in September 2022, which violated previous attempts to establish peace and resulted in Azerbaijani forces occupying sovereign Armenian territory. This is noted in a statement by the European Parliament's press service, as reported by "News."

Emphasizing that the aggression is not directly related to the long-standing conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, the report calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to withdraw their troops from Armenian territory. The governments of both countries are urged to work on a comprehensive and mutually acceptable peace agreement, while the EU is called to play a permanent role as a mediator to effectively contribute to the peaceful resolution of the conflict.

However, the Members of the European Parliament emphasize that for any peace agreement to be effective, it should include provisions that guarantee the territorial integrity of Armenia, the rights and security of the Armenian population living in Nagorno-Karabakh and other affected areas, as well as the safe and timely return of refugees and internally displaced persons to their homes.

Regarding Armenia-EU relations, the report expresses satisfaction with the full entry into force of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement in March 2021 and Armenia's commitment to its implementation. The MEPs highly appreciate the significant reforms undertaken in Armenia in recent years and the thorough democratization process, which has made the country a leader in democracy in the region.

In addition, the report commends Armenia's fight against crime and corruption, urging the government to continue reforms to strengthen democratic institutions, the rule of law, and judicial independence despite the complex international situation and challenges faced by Armenia. The MEPs also welcome improvements in media freedom. At the same time, they noted that the media environment in the country is still polarized and expressed concern over incidents of hatred and physical violence against journalists.

“Fully supporting the Armenian government's efforts to combat misinformation, the Members of the European Parliament state that no measures should lead to restrictions on journalists or freedom of speech,” the statement reads.

Reporter Andrei Kovachev stated, “The report on EU-Armenia relations reaffirms the European Parliament’s commitment to peace in the region and Armenia-EU cooperation in several important areas. As a vital step in this direction, we welcome the establishment of the EU mission in Armenia and call on the government of Azerbaijan to guarantee the freedom and security of movement through the Lachin corridor, which has been blocked for nearly two months.”