The meeting co-chaired by Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanian and Deputy Secretary General/Political Director of the European External Action Service Enrique Mora, “confirmed the mutual interest of Armenia and the EU to further enhance political dialogue and cooperation in the areas of foreign, security and defense policy.”
“The EU reiterated its unequivocal support to the sovereignty, territorial integrity (29,800 square kilometers) and inviolability of borders of Armenia and welcomed Armenia’s readiness for closer cooperation with the European Union,” a joint press release issued by the parties said.
“The unacceptability of the use, or the threat of use of force, was strongly highlighted. The parties stressed the absolute necessity of establishing durable peace and stability in the South Caucasus,” it added.
According to Armenia’s Foreign Ministry, “the EU expressed support to the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan based on the principles of mutual recognition of territorial integrity and inviolability of borders based on the 1991 Almaty Declaration, border delimitation based on relevant USSR General Staff maps that have been provided to the sides, and the unblocking of regional communications based on respect for the sovereignty and jurisdiction of either country, on the basis of reciprocity and equality.”
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev were scheduled to meet on the fringes of the EU’s October 5 summit in Granada, Spain. Pashinian had hoped that they would sign there a document laying out the main parameters of an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty.
However, Aliyev withdrew from the talks at the last minute. He also appears to have cancelled another meeting which EU Council President Michel planned to host in Brussels later in October.
Secretary of Armenia’s Security Council Armen Grigorian recently met with Toivo Klaar, the EU’s special representative for the South Caucasus, and also confirmed that Armenia is ready to continue negotiations with Azerbaijan in the format proposed by Brussels.
A senior EU official told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service last week that Michel and other EU representatives were holding separate discussions with Yerevan and Baku in an effort to reschedule the trilateral meeting for December. Although no agreement has been reached so far, the summit may take place next month, said the official who did not want to be identified.
At the second high-level session of the Armenia-EU Political and Security Dialogue the parties also discussed the possibility of extension of the EU’s border-monitoring mission in Armenia, as well as “non-lethal support to Armenia through the European Peace Facility.”
The parties said that the rights and security of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians, including their right to return, should be ensured.
The first session of the Armenia-EU Political and Security Dialogue took place in Yerevan in January. Its next session is also due to take place in Yerevan in 2024.