in Russian – https://aga-tribunal.info/eu-20-2-2023/

Below are quotes from the Report on EU-Armenia relations.

Source of full text: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2023-0036_EN.html, February 20, 2023.

The European Parliament,

…

having regard to the Declaration by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on behalf of the European Union of 19 November 2020 on Nagorno-Karabakh,

having regard to its previous resolutions, including those of 13 September 2012 on Azerbaijan: the case of Ramil Safarov[4], of 15 April 2015 on the centenary of the Armenian Genocide[5], of 20 May 2021 on prisoners of war in the aftermath of the most recent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan[6], of 10 March 2022 on the destruction of cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh[7], of 8 June 2022 on security in the Eastern Partnership area and the role of the common security and defence policy[8], of 18 January 2023 on the implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report 2022[9], and of 19 January 2023 on the humanitarian consequences of the blockade in Nagorno-Karabakh[10],

A. whereas over more than three decades, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as well as the recent incursion by Azerbaijan into Armenian sovereign territory have resulted in tens of thousands of casualties, immense destruction and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people; whereas the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has not yet been resolved;

B. whereas it is estimated that there are still around 4 500 Azerbaijani and Armenian missing persons and hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people from the first Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the 1990s;

G. whereas Azerbaijani military actions follow worrying statements by Azerbaijani authorities referring to the territory of the Republic of Armenia as Azerbaijani ancestral land and threatening to use force; whereas, since December 2022, civilian traffic between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh on the Lachin corridor has been blocked, which has had a negative impact on the deliveries of food and other essential supplies and services to the region;

N. whereas Armenia and Azerbaijan made proposals on the conditions for a peace treaty governing their inter-state relations; whereas the countries’ political leaders recently agreed to step up substantive work to advance the draft text;

O. whereas the outcome of the 2020 conflict in and around Nagorno-Karabakh traumatised Armenian society and plunged the country into a deep political crisis; whereas the country subsequently held snap parliamentary elections in 2021; whereas the electoral campaign exposed deep polarisation, which was reflected in harsh rhetoric; whereas the election result did not reduce political tensions, which were further fuelled by the security challenges faced by Armenia;

P. whereas a sustainable normalisation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan requires that all violence cease, that all the root causes of conflict be addressed, in particular that the rights and security of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh be guaranteed, and that all agreements reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan be fully implemented in order to ensure the long-term stability of bilateral relations and of the wider region as a whole; whereas such a goal can only be achieved when the authorities of Armenia and Azerbaijan can guarantee peaceful coexistence and the respect of minority rights;

Q. whereas the armed conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan have had a catastrophic impact on the cultural, religious and historical heritage of the whole region;

R. whereas, in the ICJ order of 7 December 2021, which ordered Azerbaijan to prevent and punish acts of vandalism and desecration affecting Armenian cultural heritage, serious allegations were made regarding the involvement of the Azerbaijani authorities in the destruction of cemeteries, churches and historical monuments in Nagorno-Karabakh;

AA. whereas Armenia has made significant democratic improvements and positive strides against corruption, but the promised anti-corruption and judicial reforms slowed down in 2021 in the wake of the political and economic crisis triggered by the pandemic and renewed conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh;

Conflict resolution and normalisation of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations

1. Considers that the armed Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which over the years has caused immense suffering and destruction, has significantly hampered the socio-economic development and stability of the whole South Caucasus region; is convinced that durable and sustainable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan cannot be achieved through military means and the threat of  force, but requires a comprehensive political settlement in accordance with international law, including the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, the 1975 OSCE Helsinki Final Act, namely the non-use of force, territorial integrity and the equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and the OSCE Minsk Group’s 2009 Basic Principles and all the agreements reached between the two parties, including the Alma Ata 1991 Declaration;  

2. Reaffirms that, in order to be effective, a comprehensive peace treaty must include provisions that guarantee the integrity of Armenia’s sovereign territory, the rights and security of the Armenian population residing in Nagorno-Karabakh and other conflict-afflicted areas, and the prompt and safe return of refugees and internally displaced people to their homes; recalls that the root cause of the conflict, which is the situation and security of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh and the status of the formerly autonomous region, remains unresolved; calls on the international community to keep its attention on this conflict, which is a matter of stability and security for the whole region;

3. Strongly condemns the large-scale military aggression by Azerbaijan in September 2022 against multiple places in the sovereign territory of Armenia, which constituted a serious breach of the ceasefire and contradicted earlier commitments, including those made as part of EU-mediated talks; condemns military incursions into the internationally recognised territory of Armenia since May 2021; recalls that this follows violations of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia as reported in May and November 2021; urges the return of all forces to their positions held on 9 November 2020 and stresses that the latest September aggression has no direct link to the long-lasting conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh; reiterates that the territorial integrity of Armenia must be fully respected in line with international law and the UN Charter and calls on the Azerbaijani authorities, therefore, to immediately withdraw from all parts of the territory of Armenia and to release the POWs under their control; urges the EU to be more actively involved in settling the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan; emphasises that both sides have to respect the principle of territorial integrity, which is key for peace in the region;

4. Condemns the blockade of the Lachin corridor; urges Azerbaijan to remove any obstacles that would hinder freedom and security of movement along that corridor as stipulated by the trilateral statement of 9 November 2020; calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to address all concerns relating to the functioning of the Lachin corridor through dialogue and consultations with all the parties involved;

11. Urges the governments of both countries to fully engage in the drafting of a comprehensive and mutually acceptable peace treaty that should address the security of the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh, the return of internally displaced persons and refugees and the protection of cultural, religious and historical heritage; welcomes in this regard the meetings of the foreign affairs ministers of both countries on 30 September 2022 in Geneva and on 8 November 2022 in Washington D.C.;

16. Welcomes the humanitarian assistance provided by the EU for the conflict-affected population in and around Nagorno-Karabakh and its leading role in assisting humanitarian demining in the areas affected by the conflict; calls on the Commission to ensure additional funding and assistance for demining efforts, including equipment, training and risk education; calls for additional demining cooperation with experts from EU Member States and NGOs;

19. Suggests the establishment of a temporary international guarantee mechanism for the safety and security of the Armenian population and all returnees in Nagorno-Karabakh;

20. Highlights the importance of international mediation, given the significant power imbalance between the sides, and the EU’s particularly important role in this context to ensure a fair agreement and the protection of the rights of the Nagorno-Karabakh population;

21. Calls for the granting of access to international humanitarian organisations to Nagorno-Karabakh, especially the United Nations, and recalls that currently only the International Committee of the Red Cross is allowed access to the region, which is insufficient to accurately assess the conditions and needs of the population residing there;

28. Denounces the destruction of Armenian and Azerbaijani cultural, religious and historical heritage since the beginning of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict; urges Azerbaijan and Armenia to refrain from further destroying, neglecting or altering the origins of cultural, religious or historical heritage in the region and instead strive to preserve, protect and promote this rich diversity; calls for accountability regarding such actions; stresses that the destruction of cultural heritage increases tension and hatred between countries and contributes to the destabilisation of the region and thereby undermines the efforts of the bilateral talks held recently; calls for the restoration of damaged sites in accordance with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) standards and indications as well as for the international community’s greater involvement in protecting cultural and religious heritage in the region; deplores the fact that two years since the signing of the ceasefire statement of 9 November 2020, the UNESCO mission has not been able to visit the affected areas; calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to fully cooperate with UNESCO and urgently allow and facilitate its mission’s visit to both countries without preconditions; takes note of Armenia’s expressed readiness to receive such a mission;

Foreign and security policy

30. Supports the normalisation of relations between Armenia and Türkiye in the interest of reconciliation, regional stability and security as well as socio-economic development and welcomes the progress achieved so far, including the resumption of flights between the two countries; calls for the speedy implementation of agreements reached by the special representatives; recalls that the previous attempt to normalise relations between Armenia and Türkiye through the signing of 2009 protocols failed because of Türkiye’s unilateral support for Azerbaijan and its decision to make the opening of the border and establishment of diplomatic relations with Armenia conditional on the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict; calls on both sides to engage in the process in good faith and without preconditions and calls for the EU to actively support this process; expresses the hope that this may give impetus to the normalisation of relations in the South Caucasus region; encourages Türkiye once again to recognise the Armenian Genocide to pave the way for genuine reconciliation between the Turkish and Armenian peoples, and to fully respect its obligations to protect Armenian cultural heritage;