EU Calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to Return to 1991 Borders
The European mission in Armenia said Wednesday that its observers were not in the area on Tuesday when Azerbaijani forces opened fire on Armenian positions near Tegh, killing four soldiers and injuring six others.
“The EU Mission in Armenia (EUMA) as part of implementation of its mandate, conducted its regular patrol in the area of Tegh and Kordnidzor villages during the morning of April 11,” the EU press service said in response to a query from the Armenpress news agency, which asked whether the EU mission has notified the EU about the Azerbaijani attack.
“However, they [observers] were not present in the area where the incident happened. In the late afternoon, the Mission was informed by Armenian authorities about the shooting,” the EU press service told Armenpress.
In a statement on Wednesday, the EU said it condemned “the armed clashes that yesterday led to several Armenian and Azerbaijani servicemen being killed or injured on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border in the area of Tegh.”
The EU’s External Action Service, which issued the statement said that in the absence of delimited borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan “the 1991 line must be respected the forces of either side withdrawn to safe distances from this line to prevent any similar incidents from occurring.”
“Previous commitments must be respected, including those reached in Prague in October 2022 regarding the mutual recognition of territorial integrity in line with the 1991 Almaty Declaration. The EU also urges the intensification of negotiations on the delimitation of the border and continues to stand ready to support this process,” the statement said.
“We renew our calls for restraint and for the settlement of all disputes by peaceful means. The EU continues to support these efforts, including at the highest level, and also through the presence of the EU Mission in Armenia,” added the statement.