The European Parliament has called on Armenia to “consider diversifying its security partnerships.”

The respective document noted that “Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine has had implications for the South Caucasus and has further complicated the security situation in the region.”

It is noted that “a durable and sustainable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan cannot be achieved through military means 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 and the OSCE Minsk Group’s 2009 Basic Principles.”

The report “Strongly condemns the large-scale military attack by Azerbaijan in September 2022 against multiple targets in the sovereign territory of Armenia and its consequences for the peace process; reiterates that the territorial integrity of Armenia and Azerbaijan must be fully respected and underlines the EU’s readiness to be more actively involved in settling the region’s protracted conflicts.”

The report “Urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to fully implement the tripartite ceasefire agreement of 9 November 2020 and to urgently implement measures to prepare their respective populations for peaceful coexistence; calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to avoid using inflammatory rhetoric which threatens to undermine the peace process.”

The report strongly supports “the initiative taken by the President of the European Council Charles Michel to convene and mediate bilateral meetings of the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Brussels and encourages the work on the ground of the EU’s special representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia.”

The document “welcomes the agreement to deploy a civilian EU mission to build trust and contribute to the border commissions,” the “humanitarian aid provided by the EU for the conflict-affected population in and around Nagorno-Karabakh and its assistance for humanitarian demining in the areas affected by the conflict.”

It is noted that the EU “Continues to be concerned about the fate of Armenian prisoners, both military and civilian, detained during and after the conflict and still held by Azerbaijan and welcomes the release of some of them; demands the immediate and unconditional release of all the remaining detainees, including those captured during the recent military confrontations, and that they be treated in accordance with international humanitarian law.”

In addition, it “Condemns the footage that has appeared depicting the torture, mutilation and killing of an Armenian servicewoman and unarmed Armenian prisoners of war by Azerbaijani armed forces; calls for a full and impartial investigation of the videos to identify those responsible and hold them accountable for their actions.”

The European parliament “Strongly insists that Azerbaijan and Armenia refrain from destroying cultural, religious or historical heritage; calls for the restoration of damaged sites in accordance with UNESCO standards and indications; calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to quickly allow a UNESCO mission to visit both countries without preconditions.”

It “Encourages increased bilateral contacts between the political authorities of Armenia and Azerbaijan.”

The document “Supports the normalisation of relations between Armenia and Turkey and welcomes the progress achieved so far; calls for the speedy implementation of agreements reached by the special representatives; calls on both sides to engage in the process in good faith and without preconditions.”

Also, the European Parliament report “Calls on Armenia to consider diversifying its security partnerships, as its long-standing reliance on Russia and its allies in the Collective Security Treaty Organization has proved insufficient.”