Francois-Xavier Bellamy, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and Vice Chair of the Group of the European People's Party (EPP) in the European Parliament, presented his impressions from his trip to Armenia.

“A trip to Armenia, on the eve of several crucial meetings for the country's future.

Europe has finally made a concrete commitment to the security of the Armenian people, particularly through the border monitoring mission, the long-term deployment of which we secured. Since its inception, the attacks that regularly claimed victims among Armenian soldiers and civilians have ceased entirely. But the work continues: we must maintain our support for the [Armenian] refugees of Nagorno-Karabakh, demand that their right of return be recognized by international bodies, and finally obtain the release of the [Armenian] prisoners of war still held by [Azerbaijan’s capital] Baku.

There is now so much to be done to bring Armenia closer to Europe, not only in terms of defense, but also in terms of trade and scientific cooperation: supporting one of the world's most innovative countries is a strategic opportunity, as well as the best way to enable young Armenians to secure their future against all the forces that, yesterday as today, seek to threaten it.

I first came to [Armenia’s] Yerevan in 2020, in the aftermath of the [Nagorno-Karabakh] war, on an infinitely painful Easter evening. I leave today even more impressed by the strength of this people, to whom we are bound by such a long history, and who look to our countries to preserve their freedom and our shared heritage. It is up to us to rise to the occasion,” the MEP wrote on X.