Mr President,

Thank you for convening this important meeting at this crucial moment.

The European Union has been closely following the developments. 

Let me start by expressing my full solidarity with the Karabakh Armenians, who have been enduring a period of intense hardship. 

For months they have been in isolation due to the blockage of Lachin corridor that led to shortages of food and medicine. Their freedom of movement has been obstructed. And they have also been faced with multiple disruptions in the delivery of gas and electricity. 

Azerbaijan bears the responsibility to ensure full respect for the rights and security of Karabakh Armenians. 

And the EU has repeatedly made clear that the use of force to resolve disputes is not acceptable.

The European Union for that has condemned the military operation by Azerbaijan, and we deplore the casualties and loss of life caused by this escalation. 

We have taken note of the respective announcements of a ceasefire and expect the cessation of hostilities and any kind of violence to hold. 

The local population urgently needs humanitarian assistance, and they also need guarantees that their rights and security will be respected. 

We, therefore, ask Azerbaijan to take concrete measures in this regard.

First, to ensure unimpeded humanitarian access to the civilian population in need, including through a full re-opening of the Lachin corridor. It is important that humanitarian actors can continue to operate and scale up their activities as needed in the current situation. The EU and its Member States stand ready to provide urgent humanitarian assistance. Today, the European Commission has announced a first package of humanitarian aid to support the people in need.

Second, to engage in a comprehensive and transparent dialogue with the Karabakh Armenians to ensure their rights and security, including their right to live in their homes in dignity. We note that a meeting took place today about this issue. 

Let me be clear: the EU fully supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of both Azerbaijan and Armenia and expect all actors to do the same. 

We call on Azerbaijan to reaffirm its unequivocal commitment to the territorial integrity of Armenia, and to agree to the delimitation of their bilateral border, in line with letter and spirit of the 1991 Almaty Declaration. 

The EU calls for the resumption of negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan on all pending issues with the aim of concluding a peace treaty. 

We remain committed to continue facilitating dialogue between all sides in order to ensure a comprehensive, sustainable peace for the benefit of all the people of the region.

Watch the video here: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-246297