On 25 June, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs for Austria (Alexander Schallenberg), Lithuania (Gabrielius Landsbergis) and Romania (Bogdan Aurescu) visited Armenia and Azerbaijan under the mandate of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Joseph Borell.  

The three Ministers met with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev to discuss security cooperation options between the EU and Azerbaijan after the Second Nagorno-Karabakh war. At the meeting, Aliyev emphasised that a potential Azerbaijani-Armenian peace agreement would be a prerequisite to peace in the South Caucasus region. “If we do not have a peace agreement with Armenia, it means that there is no peace. There is no peace not only between the two countries but also in the South Caucasus. We need peace and sustainable development, forecasting, zero war risk, we do not need war. We did not need a war before,” Aliyev stated. “I have repeatedly said that we want to move from a post-conflict situation to peaceful development and cooperation in the South Caucasus. Unfortunately, we have never heard anything like this from the Armenian government. The Armenian government is ignoring [all] of our statements about starting negotiations on a peace agreement with Armenia,” he added. However, he underscored that after the elections in Armenia, he expects a positive response from the country’s authorities. 

Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan and the EU could actively cooperate in ensuring peace and reconciliation in the region. “I am glad that the EU is demonstrating its involvement in regional issues, and your visit is a clear indication of this. We appreciate any participation in the South Caucasus that serves the cause of peace, reconciliation, development, and cooperation,” Aliyev said. He stressed that Azerbaijan has always been committed to the peaceful settlement of the conflict with Armenia, and the fact that Baku has been in the negotiation process for 28 years since the establishment of the Minsk Group is a clear sign of this. “We are currently in a state of post-conflict development. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has been resolved. There is nothing to negotiate in this regard. The trilateral declaration, signed on 9 November, is not just a ceasefire agreement, as some international politicians have tried to present. Anyone looking at this document will see that it is not only about the ceasefire, but also about many other issues. We need to think about the post-conflict situation,” he stressed.

Romania’s Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said that the EU aims to increase efforts to strengthen working ties with the region. “The purpose of our presence here is to send a strong message of support for the stability and security of the region, as you said, to consider the kind of support that can be given for a comprehensive solution to all issues ahead for the post-conflict period,” he said. Aurescu stressed that Azerbaijan has an important role for the EU and that it is a strategic energy partner. He described Azerbaijan as the EU's largest trading partner in the region. He also added that the EU welcomed the release of prisoners and the issuance of minefield maps. “We are interested in continuing these processes,” he concluded. 

Schallenberg called the region's transition to peace processes after the war important, stressing that the EU shows great interest in the economic development of the region and cooperates in this regard with the OSCE. Landsbergis recalled that he visited Baku several months ago and views the current visit as a continuation of the earlier consultations.

On the same day, the three Ministers visited Armenia, where they met with the country’s President Armen Sarkissian and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The Armenian media outlet Armenpress reported that besides the three FMs, the European External Action Service (EEAS) Managing Director for Russia, Eastern partnership, Central Asia, Regional cooperation and OSCE Michael Siebert and EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia Toivo Klaar were also a part of the delegation. During the meeting the speakers discussed the agenda of relations between Armenia and the EU, as well as the regional situation and issues related to its resolution.

Pashinyan highly appreciated the role of the EU, particularly the President of the European Council Charles Michel for the return of the 15 Armenian POWs. The caretaker Prime Minister of Armenia accentuated the necessity of the full implementation of the 9 November trilateral agreement, the return of all the POWs, as well as the peaceful solution of the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. Pashinyan stressed that this issue must be solved exclusively by the withdrawal of the Azerbaijani forces from the sovereign territory of Armenia and reminded that earlier he had made a relevant agreement over the issue. Referring to Nagorno-Karabakh issue, Pashinyan noted that the comprehensive settlement of the conflict should take place in the side lines of the OSCE Minsk Group. 

Aurescu noted that a regional visit with such a delegation is taking place for the first time and one of the key goals is fostering the Armenia-EU relations. The Foreign Minister of Romania congratulated Nikol Pashinyan on organising the elections at a high level, the victory of ''Civil Contract'' Party and the entry into force of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) from 1 March 2021. He stressed that Armenia should be able to derive maximal benefit from the agreement, emphasising the EU's readiness to assist the Armenian government in pushing for institutional reforms.

Landsbergis noted the importance of strengthening security and stability in the South Caucasus, adding that it is also crucial for them in the context of ensuring their own security. The Lithuanian Foreign Minister noted the need to strengthen the atmosphere of trust between the parties to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, adding that the EU is ready to assist in this matter as well. He highlighted the solution of humanitarian issues, including the return of war prisoners kept in Azerbaijan. Schallenberg also referred to the elections held in Armenia, noting that it was not only the victory of ‘’Civil Contract’’ Party, but also victory of democracy. According to him, to the happiness of the Armenian people, those who predicted problems during elections in Armenia were mistaken, which also shows Armenia’s commitment to democratic values.

At the meeting with Sarkissian, the interlocutors spoke on the upcoming Eastern Partnership Summit scheduled for December 2021 and the situation in Armenia and the region following the war, particularly referring to humanitarian issues and border situation.