Armenia, Azerbaijan agree on mutually recognized territorial integrity, EU observers

07.10.2022

Armenia, Azerbaijan agree on mutually recognized territorial integrity, EU observers

Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders at the meeting have agreed on the mutual recognition of territorial integrity of their countries and on dispatching of an EU civilian mission to the border areas. 


A relevant statement was published by the parties following a quadripartite meeting involving Armenian leader Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev as well as French head of state Emmanuel Macron and European Council President Charles Michel. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the Prague Summit, involving EU and other European leaders, which ended in the early hours of 7 October.    

The statement made public after following meeting, particularly said the following: 
“Armenia and Azerbaijan confirmed their commitment to the UN Charter and the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1991, through which both sides recognize each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty. They confirmed that this will serve as basis for the work of the commissions on delimitation and that the next meeting of these commissions will take place in Brussels by the end of October.

“Armenia expressed its agreement to encourage the EU civilian mission along the border with Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan agreed to cooperate with the mentioned mission to the extent it will be concerned. The mission will start its work in October, for a maximum period of two months. The purpose of the mission will be to build confidence and, through its reports, support the border commissions.” 

The AFP agency, commenting on the news, suggested that “Moscow is visibly losing sway as it turns its attention to Ukraine - allowing for the United States and the European Union to take a leading role in mediating the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalisation process.”

It is worth mentioning that Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Maria Zakharova speaking on the eve of the summit, said that Moscow submitted to Yerevan and Baku its plan of a peaceful resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, details of which she rejected to disclose. 

Both the Armenian prime minister and Azerbaijani president are expected to be in Russia on 7 October, where they are invited to take part to the CIS leaders’ informal summit to be held in St. Petersburg.