European Council President Charles Michel has called for "dialogue" between Baku and Karabakh Armenians two days before the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev are due to meet in the Moldovan capital Chisinau on Thursday (1 June).
Tweeting on Tuesday (30 May), President Michel said it is "essential to reconfirm respect for each other’s sovereignty & territorial integrity, & to advance on border delimitation, also to reduce risks in border areas."
"Dialogue between Baku and Armenians living in former NKAO [Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast] on their rights & security is now crucial," he said.
"Important to refrain from maximalist positions and aim for dialogue. After more than 30 years of conflict, wounds take time to heal. Courageous decisions are needed."
Prime Minister Pashinyan and the President Aliyev are due to meet in the Moldovan capital Chisinau on Thursday (1 June).
EU "welcomes" the "intensification" in Armenia-Azerbaijan normalisation talks
Meanwhile, Peter Stano, Lead Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the EU European Commission, released a statement also on Tuesday saying that the EU "welcomes" the "intensification" in the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalisation process.
"We welcome Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s courageous statement [on the recognition of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity] on 22 May and Armenia’s clear readiness to work on the delimitation of the bilateral border."
"We also welcome Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s statement on 25 May," Stano said, referring to a statement made by Aliyev in Moscow in which he said that the mutual recognition of territorial integrity means that "the issue of agreeing on other points of the peace treaty will be much smoother".
"As work on these sensitive issues continues, it is key to take steps to build confidence, engage in good faith and show leadership to reach solutions on all issues pertaining to comprehensive normalisation," Stano said.
"Despite the difficult conflict history and past grievances, all issues need to be resolved exclusively by peaceful means, through dialogue. The EU is committed to supporting the parties in this endeavour."