Friday, February 10 2023 10:50

ArmInfo. In a report, MEPs call on Armenia to pursue a comprehensive and mutually acceptable peace treaty with Azerbaijan, while praising Yerevan for its work on  democratic reforms.

In the new report reviewing EU relations with Armenia, prepared by  the Foreign Affairs Committee and adopted on Thursday, MEPs strongly  condemn the large-scale military attack on Armenia by neighbouring  Azerbaijan in September 2022, which violated previous attempts to  achieve peace and resulted in Azerbaijan's forces occupying sovereign  Armenian territory.

While stressing that this latest aggression has no direct link to the  long-term conflict over the Nagorno- Karabakh region, the report  calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to withdraw troops from all  parts of Armenian territory. It also urges the governments of both  countries to work on a comprehensive and mutually acceptable peace  treaty and on the EU to continuously engage, mediate and effectively  contribute to the peaceful resolution of this conflict.

MEPs reaffirm, however, that in order to be effective, any such peace  treaty must include provisions that guarantee the integrity of  Armenia's sovereign territory, the rights and security of the  Armenian population residing in Nagorno-Karabakh and other  conflict-afflicted areas, and the prompt and safe return of refugees  and internally displaced people to their homes.

A leader in democracy in the South Caucasus

Looking more closely at EU bilateral relations with Armenia, the  report welcomes the full entry into force of the Armenia-EU  Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in March 2021  and Armenia's commitment to its implementation. MEPs commend Armenia  for the significant reforms and thorough democratisation process it  has undertaken in recent years, reforms that have seen the country  become a leader in democracy in the region. They also call on the EU  and Armenia to work closely on the implementation of ongoing and  future reforms under the CEPA, while highlighting that the framework  covers a wide range of areas for joint work, including strengthening  democracy, the rule of law and human rights, contributing to economic  growth and fostering sectoral cooperation.

In addition, the report acknowledges Armenia's fight against crime  and corruption and encourages the government to continue implementing  reforms to strengthen democratic institutions, the rule of law and  judicial independence, despite the difficult international context  and the challenges Armenia faces.

MEPs worried by Russian disinformation campaigns in Armenia

While welcoming improvements in media freedom, MEPs stress that the  country's media environment is still characterised by polarisation  and they are concerned about cases of hate speech and physical  violence against journalists.

MEPs are also worried about relentless Russian disinformation  campaigns in Armenia targeting the European Union and the West and  call for efforts to train and improve the diversity of the country's  media sector and contribute to better media literacy. While fully  supporting the Armenian government's effort to fight disinformation,  MEPs say that any measures must not result in restrictions on  journalists or freedom of speech.

For all the details, the full report will be available here. It was  adopted by 55 votes in favour, 0 against with 5 abstentions.  Quote  "The report on EU-Armenia relations reaffirms once again the European  Parliament's commitment to peace in the region and the cooperation  between Armenia and the EU in a number of important areas. As a vital  stepping stone in this direction, we welcome the establishment of the  EU Mission in Armenia and urge the Azerbaijani government to  guarantee freedom and security of movement through the Lachin  corridor, which has been blocked for almost two months", said  rapporteur Andrey Kovatchev (EPP, Bulgaria) after the vote.  Next  steps

Following the committee vote, the text will now be submitted for  approval by the European Parliament as a whole.