We Emphasize the Need to Address the Issue of Armenian Prisoners in Azerbaijan: European Parliament

A group of Members of the European Parliament has issued a statement following negotiations held in Washington between the leaders of Armenia, the United States, and Azerbaijan. In particular, the representatives of the European Parliament expressed hope for the rapid withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops and the resolution of the issue concerning Armenian prisoners unlawfully held in Azerbaijan.

The statement was signed by David McAllister, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) and Member of the European Parliament, Sergey Lagodinski, head of the European Parliament delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, Nils Ušakovs, head of the delegation on relations with the South Caucasus, Miriam Lexmann, Permanent Rapporteur on Armenia and Member of the European Parliament, and Dan Barnier, Permanent Rapporteur on Azerbaijan in AFET.

“We warmly welcome the results of the meeting of the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan on August 8, 2025, in Washington at the invitation of the United States, in particular, the preliminary signing of the text of the 'Agreement on Establishing Peace and Inter-State Relations,' agreed upon by the parties in March of this year, as well as the joint declaration of the leaders of the two countries, which outlines further steps towards achieving lasting peace.

We highly appreciate the determination of the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan to end their long-standing conflict, as well as the significant contribution of the United States to achieving such positive outcomes based on past negotiations, including those mediated by the EU. It is crucial that the process continues as soon as possible, culminating in the signing and ratification of the preliminary peace treaty.

The political agreement to open communications between the two countries—based on respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and jurisdiction, as declared in the joint declaration of the leaders—represents significant progress. We note Armenia's intention to cooperate with the United States and mutually agreed third parties to develop and manage the route passing through southern Armenia and welcome the United States' intention to invest in this initiative. At the same time, we emphasize the importance of mutual benefits of international and domestic connectivity for the Republic of Armenia, as agreed by the leaders. Once realized, this significant infrastructure project will unveil the vast potential of the South Caucasus to become a center of trade and economic prosperity for the benefit of all countries in the region.

Turkey's constructive engagement will be vital for the full realization of this progress. We call upon the Turkish government to support these positive developments, mutually noting Armenia's willingness to regulate relations and open the Armenia-Turkey border for the benefit of both countries and those beyond its borders.

Simultaneously, we welcome the leaders’ unwavering commitment to the United Nations Charter and the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration, as well as the principles of the inviolability of international borders and the inadmissibility of the use of force to acquire territory. We expect this to lead to further progress in the border demarcation process and the complete withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from the territory of the Republic of Armenia in the near future.

We also emphasize the need to resolve the unresolved issues of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan and displaced Armenians from Artsakh. The EU is actively involved in supporting stability and prosperity in the South Caucasus and is prepared to continue contributing to the advancement of the resolution process. This process is of significant importance in the context of efforts to diversify Armenia's economic and defense ties and declared European aspirations, which the European Parliament fully supports,” the statement of the Members of the European Parliament concludes.