{"id":11727,"date":"2026-05-02T16:34:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T12:34:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.freecitizen.am\/?p=11727"},"modified":"2026-05-02T16:40:02","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T12:40:02","slug":"%d5%a5%d5%be%d6%80%d5%b8%d5%ba%d5%a1%d5%af%d5%a1%d5%b6-%d5%ad%d5%b8%d6%80%d5%b0%d6%80%d5%a4%d5%a1%d6%80%d5%a1%d5%b6%d5%ab-%d5%a2%d5%a1%d5%b6%d5%a1%d5%b1%d6%87%d5%a8-%d5%b0%d5%a1%d5%b5%d5%a1%d5%bd-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freecitizen.am\/?p=11727","title":{"rendered":"European Parliament resolution on supporting democratic resilience in Armenia"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><div id=\"tdi_1\" class=\"tdc-row\"><div class=\"vc_row tdi_2  wpb_row td-pb-row\" >\n<style scoped>\n\/* custom css - generated by TagDiv Composer *\/\n\n\/* custom css - generated by TagDiv Composer *\/\n.tdi_2,\r\n                .tdi_2 .tdc-columns{\r\n                    min-height: 0;\r\n                }.tdi_2,\r\n\t\t\t\t.tdi_2 .tdc-columns{\r\n\t\t\t\t    display: block;\r\n\t\t\t\t}.tdi_2 .tdc-columns{\r\n\t\t\t\t    width: 100%;\r\n\t\t\t\t}.tdi_2:before,\r\n\t\t\t\t.tdi_2:after{\r\n\t\t\t\t    display: table;\r\n\t\t\t\t}\n<\/style><div class=\"vc_column tdi_4  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<style scoped>\n\/* custom css - generated by TagDiv Composer *\/\n\n\/* custom css - generated by TagDiv Composer *\/\n.tdi_4{\r\n                    vertical-align: baseline;\r\n                }.tdi_4 > .wpb_wrapper,\r\n\t\t\t\t.tdi_4 > .wpb_wrapper > .tdc-elements{\r\n\t\t\t\t    display: block;\r\n\t\t\t\t}.tdi_4 > .wpb_wrapper > .tdc-elements{\r\n\t\t\t\t    width: 100%;\r\n\t\t\t\t}.tdi_4 > .wpb_wrapper > .vc_row_inner{\r\n\t\t\t\t    width: auto;\r\n\t\t\t\t}.tdi_4 > .wpb_wrapper{\r\n\t\t\t\t    width: auto;\r\n\t\t\t\t    height: auto;\r\n\t\t\t\t}\n<\/style><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\" >[vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<em>April 28, 2026, Brussels<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>The European Parliament<\/em>,<\/p>\n<p>\u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 having regard to its previous resolutions on Armenia,<\/p>\n<p>\u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 having regard to the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Armenia, of the other part<a href=\"#_ftn1\" name=\"_ftnref1\">[1]<\/a>,<\/p>\n<p>\u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 having regard to the law adopted by Armenia\u2019s National Assembly on 26\u00a0March 2025 launching the process of Armenia\u2019s accession to the European Union,<\/p>\n<p>\u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 having regard to the address of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 11\u00a0March 2026,<\/p>\n<p>\u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 having regard to the joint press statement of 3\u00a0December 2025 following the sixth meeting of the EU-Armenia Partnership Council,<\/p>\n<p>\u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 having regard to the adoption of the strategic agenda for the Armenia-EU partnership,<\/p>\n<p>\u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 having regard to the EU-Armenia resilience and growth plan and the EU\u2019s Global Gateway investment commitments,<\/p>\n<p>\u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 having regard to the conclusions of the EU-Armenia Political and Security Dialogue of 3\u00a0February 2026,<\/p>\n<p>\u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 having regard to Council Decision (CFSP) 2025\/211 of 30\u00a0January 2025<a href=\"#_ftn2\" name=\"_ftnref2\">[2]<\/a>, which extends the mandate of the European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) for two years,<\/p>\n<p>\u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 having regard to Council Decision (CFSP) 2026\/894 of 21\u00a0April 2026<a href=\"#_ftn3\" name=\"_ftnref3\">[3]<\/a>, which establishes the EU Partnership Mission in Armenia (EUPM Armenia) under the common security and defence policy (CSDP),<\/p>\n<p>\u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 having regard to Council Decision (CFSP) 2024\/2010 of 22\u00a0July 2024<a href=\"#_ftn4\" name=\"_ftnref4\">[4]<\/a>, which adopts the first ever assistance measure under the European Peace Facility in support of the Armenian Armed Forces,<\/p>\n<p>\u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 having regard to the ratification of the CSDP framework participation agreement between the European Union and Armenia<a href=\"#_ftn5\" name=\"_ftnref5\">[5]<\/a>, as welcomed in the joint press statement of 3\u00a0December 2025 following the sixth meeting of the EU-Armenia Partnership Council,<\/p>\n<p>\u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 having regard to the Washington Peace Summit of 8\u00a0August 2025,<\/p>\n<p>\u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 having regard to the needs assessment mission report, published by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, on Armenia\u2019s parliamentary elections of 7\u00a0June 2026, and to the Council of Europe\u2019s work on election standards, media freedom and information integrity,<\/p>\n<p>\u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 having regard to its resolution of 15\u00a0April 2015 on the centenary of the Armenian Genocide<a href=\"#_ftn6\" name=\"_ftnref6\">[6]<\/a>,<\/p>\n<p>\u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 having regard to Rules 136(2) and (4) of its Rules of Procedure,<\/p>\n<p><strong>A.<\/strong> whereas EU-Armenia relations have entered a new phase, marked by a higher level of political engagement and an expanded security relationship; whereas these relations are founded on shared values, including democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; whereas the EU-Armenia Partnership Council has adopted a new strategic agenda, as a major step in strengthening bilateral ties, covering democracy, justice reform, human rights and a wide range of further areas building on the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement; whereas the EU has reaffirmed its steadfast support for Armenia\u2019s reform agenda and the country\u2019s efforts to counter hybrid threats, the progress made in the visa liberalisation dialogue and the EU\u2019s EUR 270 million resilience and growth plan for Armenia; whereas Armenia has undertaken significant reforms in recent years; whereas further improvements remain essential;<\/p>\n<p><strong>B.<\/strong> whereas on 26 March 2025, Armenia\u2019s parliament adopted the law on launching Armenia\u2019s process of accession to the EU, thereby expressing the country\u2019s aspiration for EU membership;<\/p>\n<p><strong>C.<\/strong> whereas the new strategic agenda adopted in December 2025, building on full implementation of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, covers a wide range of areas, including democracy and the rule of law, justice reform and human rights; whereas this choice of areas demonstrates Armenia\u2019s sovereign commitment to democratic standards and the rule of law, consistent with EU norms and values;<\/p>\n<p><strong>D.<\/strong> whereas the eighth summit of the European Political Community and the first ever EU-Armenia summit will take place consecutively in Yerevan on 4 and 5 May 2026, representing a historic sign of European solidarity with Armenia; whereas the EU-Armenia summit, bringing together the President of the European Council, the President of the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission \/ High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, is set to deliver concrete outcomes in bilateral relations, with a particular focus on connectivity in energy, transport and digital infrastructure, and on peace, security and prosperity in the South Caucasus;<\/p>\n<p><strong>E.<\/strong> whereas on 21 April 2026, the Council established EUPM Armenia under the CSDP as a further contribution towards enhancing Armenia\u2019s democratic resilience and its ability to manage crises; whereas the mission will support Armenia in facing multilayered threats such as foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), cyberattacks and illicit financial flows; whereas the establishment of the mission confirms that democratic security is now a core pillar of the EU-Armenia partnership; whereas EUPM Armenia will provide strategic advice and capacity-building to Armenia\u2019s institutions to help them respond to such threats;<\/p>\n<p><strong>F.<\/strong> whereas on 7 June 2026, Armenia will hold parliamentary elections, which are strategically important not only for domestic democratic consolidation but also for the sustainability of peace, reform and closer cooperation with the EU; whereas the integrity of the elections depends on having the conditions for free, fair and competitive elections, strong institutions, independent media and robust safeguards against disinformation, illicit financing, vote-buying and other forms of malign interference; whereas ODIHR has recorded concerns regarding the preparedness of precinct commissions, cybersecurity, early campaigning, the misuse of administrative resources, the transparency of campaign financing, and media polarisation; whereas foreign interference \u2013 notably Russia\u2019s systematic hybrid operations carried out with the help of its proxies, including disinformation campaigns, cyber operations, economic pressure and the mobilisation of local proxies \u2013 has increasingly operated through domestic amplifiers such as certain religious actors and oligarchic networks, mirroring patterns observed in recent elections in Moldova and Georgia;<\/p>\n<p><strong>G.<\/strong> whereas during their meeting on 1 April 2026, Vladimir Putin put pressure on Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to allow detained Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan to participate in Armenia\u2019s upcoming elections;<\/p>\n<p><strong>H.<\/strong> whereas EUMA continues to play a vital role in contributing to stability, confidence-building and human security in conflict-affected areas; whereas on 30 January 2025, the Council extended EUMA\u2019s mandate for two years; whereas EUMA plays a vital stabilising role along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border; whereas it also contributes to observing and reporting on the situation on the ground and supporting confidence-building between Armenia and Azerbaijan;<\/p>\n<p><strong>I.<\/strong> whereas the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process has gained significant momentum, with plans for multimodal transit connectivity through Armenian territory linking mainland Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, while fully respecting Armenia\u2019s sovereignty, territorial integrity and jurisdiction, and represents a key instrument for reducing Armenia\u2019s economic dependence on Russia; whereas the EU, through the EU-Armenia Connectivity Partnership and the Crossroads of Peace initiative, fully supports this process;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Affirms its strong belief in the commitment of the Armenian authorities to uphold free, fair and transparent elections and expresses its support for their efforts to protect democratic institutions against external interference;<\/li>\n<li>Expresses its full support for free, fair, competitive and peaceful parliamentary elections in Armenia in June 2026, the outcome of which the Armenian people alone must determine; underlines the importance of the independence of electoral administration, equal campaign conditions for all candidates, media pluralism and full respect for fundamental freedoms throughout the electoral cycle; calls for robust safeguards against disinformation, illicit financing, vote-buying and coercion, and the enhanced protection of electoral infrastructure, the transparency of campaign financing, and support for fact-checking initiatives and civil society, including through information-sharing and early-warning mechanisms; calls for robust international and domestic election observation missions, including by ODIHR, and full cooperation with such missions;<\/li>\n<li>Strongly condemns FIMI, disinformation campaigns and other hybrid threats directed at Armenia, notably those emanating from Russia and its proxies, including through cyberattacks, illicit political financing and the use of domestic actors, including oligarchic networks, to amplify such threats; stresses that these threats are structural and long-term in nature and sustained efforts are required to strengthen democratic resilience beyond the electoral cycle; welcomes, in this regard, the establishment of EUPM Armenia and calls for enhanced EU support through strategic communication, media literacy, capacity-building in the area of cybersecurity, and structured engagement with online platforms; calls on the Armenian authorities to guarantee full respect for opposition rights, judicial independence and freedom of expression;<\/li>\n<li>Notes the specific challenges linked to the presence of a sizeable Russian community, including dual nationals, in Armenia, and stresses the need for vigilance against any attempts to exploit this situation for electoral interference;<\/li>\n<li>Welcomes the strong momentum in EU-Armenia relations and Armenia\u2019s continued commitment to democracy, the rule of law, human rights and ambitious political and economic reforms;<\/li>\n<li>Welcomes the adoption of the new strategic agenda for the EU-Armenia partnership, the progress made in the implementation of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, the advances in the visa liberalisation dialogue, and the continued implementation of the resilience and growth plan; welcomes, in this regard, Armenia\u2019s legislative and policy efforts that aim to deepen relations with the EU;<\/li>\n<li>Welcomes the holding of the eighth European Political Community summit and the first ever EU-Armenia summit in Yerevan on 4 and 5\u00a0May 2026 as an exceptional and historic milestone; considers that the consecutive hosting of both summits in Yerevan sends an unambiguous political signal of pan-European solidarity with Armenia and of the EU\u2019s commitment to supporting Armenia\u2019s peace, reform and resilience agenda; calls on EU and Armenian leaders to use this opportunity to develop ambitious and concrete deliverables;<\/li>\n<li>Welcomes the adoption of legislation expressing the country\u2019s aspiration for EU membership and calls for the EU institutions and the Armenian authorities to support this political choice with practical steps, anchored in democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights;<\/li>\n<li>Calls on the Commission, the European External Action Service and the Member States to deepen cooperation with Armenia on democratic governance, the rule of law, judicial reform, anti-corruption, cybersecurity and resilience to hybrid threats, and to increase accessible support for independent media, civil society, local institutions and reform-oriented public administration; calls for close coordination with international partners in supporting these efforts;<\/li>\n<li>Strongly supports Armenia\u2019s continued efforts towards peace, reconciliation and the full normalisation of relations with Azerbaijan; welcomes the progress achieved in the peace process and calls on both sides to move towards a comprehensive, legally binding peace agreement; stresses that any sustainable peace must be grounded in respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders;<\/li>\n<li>Encourages enhanced information-sharing and cooperation with the Republic of Moldova, facilitated by the EU, in the light of comparable experiences of electoral interference;<\/li>\n<li>Reiterates its support for the rights of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians, including the protection of their identity, property and cultural heritage, and their right to a safe, unimpeded and dignified return under appropriate international guarantees; calls for those responsible for the destruction of Armenian cultural and religious heritage to be held accountable, and for an international assessment mission;<\/li>\n<li>Condemns Azerbaijan\u2019s unjust detention of Armenian prisoners of war, detainees and hostages; demands their immediate and unconditional release; notes the steps taken so far and calls for further confidence-building measures; calls for full respect for international humanitarian and human rights law;<\/li>\n<li>Calls for the EU to step up financial and technical assistance to Armenia, including through the resilience and growth plan, with a focus on strengthening institutional resilience, energy security, digital governance and economic diversification, and reducing structural dependencies in critical sectors such as energy, transport and infrastructure; encourages the Armenian Government to follow up on the reforms;<\/li>\n<li>Welcomes the adoption of the EUMA civil society strategy; considers it an important step in broadening the mission\u2019s engagement with Armenian civil society beyond its core security monitoring mandate, and encourages EUMA to strengthen its outreach to local democratic actors, community organisations and independent media as part of its contribution to democratic resilience; commends the work of Armenian civil society on investigating foreign interference campaigns, cyberattacks and online disinformation;<\/li>\n<li>Welcomes continued efforts towards the normalisation of relations between Armenia and T\u00fcrkiye, as an important contribution to regional stability, reconciliation and connectivity; calls on both parties to continue to engage in good faith in further confidence-building steps, including the reopening of borders, as an important contribution to regional stability, reconciliation and connectivity;<\/li>\n<li>Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission\u00a0\/\u00a0High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the President, Government and Parliament of the Republic of Armenia, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council of Europe and the United Nations.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref1\" name=\"_ftn1\">[1]<\/a> OJ L 23, 26\/01\/2018, p. 4, ELI: <a href=\"http:\/\/data.europa.eu\/eli\/agree_internation\/2018\/104\/oj\">http:\/\/data.europa.eu\/eli\/agree_internation\/2018\/104\/oj<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref2\" name=\"_ftn2\">[2]<\/a> OJ L, 2025\/211, 31.1.2025, ELI: <a href=\"http:\/\/data.europa.eu\/eli\/dec\/2025\/211\/oj\">http:\/\/data.europa.eu\/eli\/dec\/2025\/211\/oj<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref3\" name=\"_ftn3\">[3]<\/a> OJ L, 2026\/894, 22.4.2026, ELI: <a href=\"http:\/\/data.europa.eu\/eli\/dec\/2026\/894\/oj\">http:\/\/data.europa.eu\/eli\/dec\/2026\/894\/oj<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref4\" name=\"_ftn4\">[4]<\/a> OJ L, 2024\/2010, 23.7.2024, ELI: <a href=\"http:\/\/data.europa.eu\/eli\/dec\/2024\/2010\/oj\">http:\/\/data.europa.eu\/eli\/dec\/2024\/2010\/oj<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref5\" name=\"_ftn5\">[5]<\/a> Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Armenia establishing a framework for the participation of the Republic of Armenia in European Union crisis management operations (OJ L, 2025\/1553, 31.7.2025, ELI: <a href=\"http:\/\/data.europa.eu\/eli\/agree_internation\/2025\/1553\/oj\">http:\/\/data.europa.eu\/eli\/agree_internation\/2025\/1553\/oj<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref6\" name=\"_ftn6\">[6]<\/a> OJ C 328, 6.9.2016, p. 2.[\/vc_column_text]<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[vc_column_text css=\"\"]April 28, 2026, Brussels The European Parliament, \u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 having regard to its previous resolutions on Armenia, \u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 having regard to the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Armenia, of the other part[1], \u2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [...]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11740,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3277],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-11727","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-important-data"},"lang":"en","translations":{"en":11727,"hy":11724},"amp_enabled":true,"pll_sync_post":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freecitizen.am\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11727","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freecitizen.am\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freecitizen.am\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freecitizen.am\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freecitizen.am\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11727"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.freecitizen.am\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11727\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11730,"href":"https:\/\/www.freecitizen.am\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11727\/revisions\/11730"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freecitizen.am\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freecitizen.am\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11727"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freecitizen.am\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11727"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freecitizen.am\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11727"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}