ArmInfo.The issue of the Artsakh Armenians' right to secure and dignified life in their homeland remains on the EU agenda.
In a conversation with Radio Liberty, EU External Relations Representative Peter Stano asked to clarify whether Brussels is closed on the issue of giving Artsakh people a safe and dignified life in their homeland, taking into account the fact that the European side no longer mentions this in its statements , in particular, said: "Undoubtedly, this issue is still on the agenda. We know very well what impact this has on the Armenian people, on the Armenian society, how important it is not only for the Armenian people, but also for Azerbaijan. Because these people are from Azerbaijan - from Nagorno-Karabakh. Nagorno-Karabakh has always been Azerbaijan de jure for us. We said: look, there is a problem, there is an issue left over from a very difficult past, let's solve it as a civilized society at the negotiating table. Unfortunately, This proved impossible due to Azerbaijan's unilateral actions, which is why the European Union quickly provided additional assistance to people fleeing Nagorno-Karabakh. And we are determined to continue to help Armenia solve this problem. This is one of the issues on our agenda, and it is not closed because it concerns a large number of people, more than one hundred thousand."
When asked how the EU sees the solution to this issue in cooperation with Armenia or in demanding Azerbaijan to guarantee their rights, Stano noted that Brussels is working with all interested parties, because one of the main demands that the European Union conveyed to Azerbaijan was to guarantee the rights of these people to return and live in safety.
"And we continue to appeal to our Azerbaijani partners to provide guarantees and to tell these people very frankly and clearly that they can return without any threat and without any concern, that their property must be respected, and cultural and religious symbols and property must be respected. This issue is not closed, and we raise it every time we have the opportunity, both with Armenia and Azerbaijan," Stano said.
When asked whether the EU considered replacing Russian border guards as part of a plan to strengthen Armenia's security, the European official recalled that in November last year, when foreign ministers discussed issues of further cooperation with Armenia, they pointed to three areas of possible interaction.
According to him, these are the European Peace Fund, strengthening the sustainability of the economy and society of Armenia and liberalization of the visa regime.
"These are the areas that the EU has identified as priorities in the current realities. We have also identified other areas on which we want to focus our expanded cooperation: communications, energy, issues related to strengthening the economy. So, of course, there are many proposals, but ultimately "In the end, we are talking about the demand presented by Armenia and the proposal presented by the European Union in response, and if they coincide, then an agreement can be reached," the official said.
At the same time, when asked to clarify whether leaving the integration associations led by Russia implies the homework that Armenia must do in relations with the EU, Stano assured that this rather implies the continuation of the reform agenda.
"We are talking about bringing Armenia closer to the EU politically and economically. And this includes, of course, working on reforms: strengthening and reforming democratic institutions, of course, the necessary economic reforms, ensuring the rule of law, fighting corruption. And in this matter, Armenia has done a great job This has been appreciated and continues to be assessed, but, of course, there are problems that still need to be solved.
Regarding your relations with Russia, the EU is not a player that can say: if you want to work with us, you will have to give up all other partners. We are for inclusive cooperation. If you believe that some kind of cooperation with Russia is important, useful or beneficial for your interests, you can have it, provided that it does not contradict EU policies, for example, our sanctions policy. Therefore, if you develop closer ties with the EU, this does not mean that you need to sever ties with any other partner. Whether you want to have Russian soldiers, the Russian FSB or any other Russian law enforcement agency on your soil is your sovereign decision. We're not saying that if you want more from us, you should get rid of the Russians. That's not how the EU works," Mr Stano said.