Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The protracted conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains high on the EU agenda, and has featured regularly on the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council over the past year, particularly since the military escalation of 19-20 September, and subsequent exodus of over 100,000 Karabakh Armenians to Armenia.

The issue was most recently discussed at the November Foreign Affairs Council, and the October European Council, when the European Union agreed Council Conclusions which underline the EU’s continued support for advancing a sustainable and lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, based on the principles of recognition of sovereignty, the inviolability of borders and territorial integrity. Ireland also continues to engage on this issue at the United Nations, the Council of Europe, and the OSCE.

The humanitarian welfare of civilians in the region remains the central focus of Ireland’s engagement, including in our interactions with Armenian and Azerbaijani interlocutors. I emphasised this point in my call with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on 11 August, as did the Taoiseach when he met with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in October in the margins of the European Political Community Summit in Granada.

Together with our EU partners, we have been discussing how best to support Armenia in the context of the influx of refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh to the country. From 27- 29th November, the European Commission and European External Action Service (EEAS) undertook a joint fact-finding mission to Armenia to identify areas for deepening EU-Armenia cooperation and increasing EU support. The EU representatives met with the two Deputy Prime Ministers, the Foreign Minister and the Deputy Foreign Minister, along with several line Ministers, civil society actors, the EU Head of Mission and UN agencies.

My European colleagues and I also had an informal exchange with the Armenian Foreign Minister, Ararat Mirzoyan at the Foreign Affairs Council on 11 December. This was a timely opportunity to receive an update in light of recent events, including on the prospects for an overarching peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In this regard, I welcome the joint statement issued by the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan on 7 December announcing that a path forward to build confidence between the two countries has been set. I note the respective release of military prisoners and the agreement on other bilateral gestures of good will.

Ireland echoes the call of European Council President Michel for this opportunity to be seized and maintains its full support for the achievement of an overarching negotiated, sustainable peace agreement between the two countries.