Members of the European Parliament have strongly condemned the large-scale military attack on Armenia by Azerbaijan in September 2022, which violated previous attempts to achieve peace and resulted in Azerbaijan’s forces occupying sovereign Armenian territory.

While stressing that this latest aggression has no direct link to the long-term conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, a new report from the MEPs calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to withdraw troops from all parts of Armenian territory. It also urges the governments of both countries to work on a comprehensive and mutually acceptable peace treaty and on the EU to continuously engage, mediate and effectively contribute to the peaceful resolution of this conflict.

MEPs reaffirm, however, that in order to be effective, any such peace treaty must include provisions that guarantee the integrity of Armenia’s sovereign territory, the rights and security of the Armenian population residing in Nagorno-Karabakh and other conflict-afflicted areas, and the prompt and safe return of refugees and internally displaced people to their homes.

The latest round of fighting between the two countries began in the wee hours of September 13, 2022 when the Azerbaijani military attacked Armenian posts and shelled Armenian settlements both on the border and deep behind the frontline. More than 200 people are dead or missing as a result, the Security Council of Armenia said several days after the attack.