The EU called for a renunciation of violence after renewed talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. “First of all, violence and harsh rhetoric must stop to create a suitable environment for peace and normalization negotiations,” said Council President Charles Michel on Saturday in Brussels. He had already met Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan there.
The talks are aimed at ending hostilities that have lasted for decades. “Real progress depends on the next steps that need to be taken in the near future,” Michel said on behalf of the European Union. Local people need guarantees, especially about their rights and security. Aliyev and Pashinyan had no comment after the meeting.
In addition to the EU, the US also urges the warring parties to conclude a peace agreement. More recently, the foreign ministers of the US, Armenia and Azerbaijan met in Washington in late June.
Russia also wants to exert influence. Moscow’s government is a formal ally of Armenia, but it also seeks good relations with Azerbaijan. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday it was ready to organize a tripartite meeting with Armenia and Azerbaijan at ministerial level. That could be followed by a summit in Moscow to sign a peace treaty.
From the point of view of the United Nations, Nagorno-Karabakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), which is predominantly inhabited by Armenians, belongs to Azerbaijan. However, the enclave declared its independence from the Baku government in 1991. The two former Soviet republics have fought over the area for decades. In 2020, the conflict escalated into a war that ended with a Russian-brokered ceasefire.
Tensions flared again in the spring. Despite repeated attempts at negotiations, key agreements are still pending. Among other things, these are demarcation lines and prisoner exchanges.