European Union for distancing of forces on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border - Borrell

On Tuesday in Brussels, at a meeting between the head of the EU External Relations and Security Service Josep Borrell and the head of the Armenian Foreign Ministry Ararat Mirzoyan, the situation in the region and the process of normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations were discussed.

As stated in Borrell's press release, the latest incident at the border was reviewed.

«We discussed the regional situation and the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalisation process, unhappily including the latest incidents at the border. The Armenian shooting of the Azerbaijani soldier yesterday was deplorable. But Azerbaijan’s response today seems to be disproportionate, ignoring the announcement by the Armenian Minister of Defence that this incident will be fully investigated.
This yet again illustrates the urgent need for the distancing of forces, which is something that the European Union has been advocating for a long time.

Today, I have to reiterate the European Union’s full commitment to supporting a sustainable and lasting peace based on the principles of recognition of sovereignty, the inviolability of borders and territorial integrity», - Borrell said.

“Our mission in Armenia, the EU Mission to Armenia (EUMA), has recently been strengthened with more staff and will continue to contribute to efforts to normalize relations,” Borrell continued.

He noted that the European Commission has allocated 5.5 million euros in assistance to the Armenians of Karabakh.

“In the coming months we will build our dialogue on foreign and security policy,” Borrell concluded.