The European Union’s Special Representative to the South Caucasus Toivo Klaar held talks with Armenian leaders on Friday as he began a visit to Yerevan and Baku as a follow-up to a meeting held last month in Brussels between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Klaar, who is accompanied by Isabelle Dumont, a special representative to the French president met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Armenia’s National Security Chief Armen Grigoryan and Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan.
France, which currently holds the EU presidency was represented by its ambassador to Armenia Anne Louyot and Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia Andrea Wiktorin participated in the meetings.
During the meeting with National Security Chief Grigorian, the European representatives discussed the current situation around the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. In this context the quick launch of the border delimitation and demarcation process and the creation of a respective environment for that were emphasized, according to a press statement from Klaar’s office.
During their meeting with Foreign Minister Mirzoyan the humanitarian problems caused by the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh War was discussed, according to the foreign ministry press servicen.
In this context the immediate repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war and civilian captives, held in Azerbaijan, was emphasized.
The sides discussed also taking actions to raise the level of security and stability on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. To this end Mirzoyan highlighted the implementation of agreements reached at the Sochi trilateral statement and the Brussels meeting mediated by the President of the European Council.
The need to observe the ceasefire and refrain from aggressive rhetoric by Azerbaijan’s leaders was also stressed by Mirzoyan, who emphasized the need for the resumption of talks for a comprehensive settlement of the Karabakh conflict under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.
“The meeting addressed the situation in the South Caucasus region after the 44-day war, the steps aimed at de-escalating the situation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and ensuring stability,” Pashinyan’s office said in a press statement.
“In particular, views were exchanged regarding the implementation of agreements and results of meetings held in mediation of the President of the Russian Federation in Sochi, as well as the President of the European Council and President of France in Brussels. The necessity for the full launch of the peace process under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship and intensifying the activity of the Co-Chairs in the direction of a lasting resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict was underscored,” the statement added.