In a phone call with President Aliyev of Azerbaijan and a meeting with Acting PM Pashinyan of Armenia - both on Wednesday 2 June - President Charles Michel of the European Council stressed that the full implementation of the 9 November 2020 ceasefire declaration was “essential for regional security and stability”.
“The EU is ready to provide expertise on border delimitation and demarcation, and to support confidence-building”, Michel is quoted as saying in a European Council press release.
The President of the European Council also encouraged both sides to cooperate “as a matter of urgency” on the return of detainees, and with full transparency regarding mine fields and other important humanitarian issues. According to the European Council, the EU is providing almost €20 million in humanitarian assistance and will continue to be engaged (see EUROPE 12720/11). On 20 May, MEPs called on Baku to release the Armenian civilians and soldiers it is holding (see EUROPE 12723/17).
“Addressing these immediate challenges is, however, only a first step towards a sustainable peaceful settlement”, the European Council emphasised, explaining that Mr Michel had called on both sides to engage in renewed negotiations in a constructive spirit. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)