The office of EU Council President Charles Michel issued the following statement today. Earlier, Charles Michel met with Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan.

In today's phone call with President Aliyev of Azerbaijan and meeting with Acting PM Pashinyan of Armenia, President Michel of the European Council stressed the importance for the EU of stability and prosperity of the South Caucasus and of deepening relations with the two partner countries.

He recalled that the full implementation of the 9 November 2020 ceasefire declaration by Azerbaijan and Armenia is essential for regional security and stability. The EU is ready to provide expertise on border delimitation and demarcation and to support confidence building.

The European Union also encourages both parties to cooperate, as matter of urgency, on the return of detainees and full transparency with regard to mine fields, and other important humanitarian issues. The EU is providing almost 20 million EUR in humanitarian assistance and will continue to be engaged.

Addressing these immediate challenges is, however, only a first step towards a sustainable peaceful settlement. The PEC called on both sides to engage in renewed negotiations in a constructive spirit.

The European Union has a profound interest in the security, stability and prosperity of the South Caucasus region as an integral part of the EU's Eastern Partnership.

Photo by Olivier Hoslet/AFP via Getty Images