On supporting democratic resilience in Armenia

B100197/2026

European Parliament resolution on supporting democratic resilience in Armenia

(2026/2701(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Armenia and the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh,

– having regard to the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act,

– having regard to the Alma-Ata Declaration of 21 December 1991,

– 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 (CEPA), which fully entered into force on 1 March 2021,

– having regard to the conclusions of the second high-level EU-Armenia Political and Security Dialogue of 15 November 2023,

– having regard to the Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Interstate Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan of 8 August 2025,

– having regard to Armenia’s accession to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court on 1 February 2024,

– having regard to the Partnership Implementation Report on Armenia of 9 February 2024,

– having regard to the outcomes of the fifth meeting of the EU-Armenia Partnership Council on 13 February 2024,

– having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas EU-Armenia relations should be based on shared principles such as democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms, the rule of law and regional cooperation, and on active engagement in the Eastern Partnership framework;

B. whereas Armenia has initiated the formal process for EU accession following the adoption of relevant legislation by its Parliament on 26 March 2025, subsequently signed into law on 4 April 2025; whereas Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has stated that membership would depend on public support expressed through a referendum;

C. whereas the accession process is merit-based, grounded in the Copenhagen Criteria, with irreversible progress on the rule of law, democracy and fundamental values remaining the key cornerstone of the process; whereas each country’s accession to the EU is conditional on lasting, in-depth and non-regressive reforms across fundamental areas such as the rule of law and the functioning of democratic institutions;

D. whereas the EU accession process should foster upward social alignment, ensuring that reforms are not limited to regulatory alignment but also contribute to improving living standards, strengthening social protection systems, reducing inequalities, and promoting inclusive economic development in line with the European Pillar of Social Rights;

E. whereas Armenia is regarded as the most democratic country in its region, having made significant progress by adopting several Venice Commission recommendations with regard to strengthening the functioning of institutions, good governance practices, electoral processes, civil liberties and political pluralism in recent years; whereas important challenges and limitations nevertheless remain, requiring further sustained reforms to fully consolidate the rule of law, institutional independence and the effective protection of fundamental rights;

F. whereas the human rights of LGBTIQ+ people in Armenia are at best disregarded and at worst actively suppressed by the Government and state institutions; whereas, according to the 2025 Rainbow Map, Armenia scored 9.16 % in terms of its legal and policy practices; whereas this ranking places Armenia in 46th place out of 49 countries evaluated;

G. whereas Armenia ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court on 3 October 2023, thereby becoming a State Party to the Statute as of 1 February 2024;

H. whereas the first ever EU-Armenia Summit is due to be held in Yerevan, Armenia, on 4 and 5 May 2026, with the participation of the President of the European Council, António Costa, the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan;

I. whereas the summit is expected to focus in particular on strengthening bilateral cooperation in the fields of connectivity, including energy, transport and digital infrastructure, as well as progress towards peace, security, connectivity and prosperity in the South Caucasus;

J. whereas EU-Armenia relations are grounded in the CEPA, in force since 2021, and are further guided by the strategic agenda for the EU-Armenia Partnership agreed in 2025, which together provide the framework for deepening political dialogue, economic cooperation, and sectoral integration between both sides;

K. whereas in September 2024, the EU launched a visa liberalisation dialogue with Armenia with the aim of supporting Armenia’s objective of achieving a visa-free travel regime with the EU, thereby facilitating closer people-to-people contacts and strengthening bilateral relations;

L. whereas Azerbaijan’s aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh has resulted in significant human suffering; whereas Azerbaijani troops have committed ethnic cleansing and violence against the Armenian inhabitants of the region;

M. whereas on 8 August 2025, the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a Joint Declaration committing them to the achievement of peace and they initialled a 17-article peace agreement, marking an important step towards the normalisation of relations and the establishment of lasting peace between the two countries;

N. whereas parliamentary elections are scheduled to take place in the Republic of Armenia on 7 June 2026;

O. whereas the EU fully supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Armenia and Azerbaijan and actively supports efforts towards the full implementation of the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the resolution of all outstanding issues;

P. whereas although Armenia is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), its participation in the organisation’s activities has become increasingly strained in recent years, leading to its decision to suspend its participation in the CSTO;

Q. whereas on 21 April 2026, the Council established the EU Partnership Mission in Armenia (EUPM Armenia) under the common security and defence policy (CSDP), with the declared aim of contributing to the strengthening of Armenia’s democratic resilience and its capacity to address complex security challenges;

R. whereas a resilient democracy requires strong institutions, an active civil society, free media and public trust in governance; whereas democratic resilience is inseparable from social justice, the fight against inequality, and the existence of strong public institutions that serve the majority rather than a narrow circle of economic or political elites;

S. whereas respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law remains essential for Armenia’s progressive modernisation and its relations with the EU;

1. Stresses that the future of Armenia must be based on the free and sovereign will of its people; underlines the necessity of holding free and fair elections conducted in full compliance with international standards, ensuring the transparency of the electoral process, equal conditions for all political actors, the absence of intimidation or undue pressure on voters, the integrity of campaign financing, independent and impartial administration of elections, and the full protection of media freedom and pluralism throughout the electoral process without foreign intervention driven by geopolitical motivation of the EU or third countries;

2. Takes note of the Armenian Parliament’s decision to enhance and prioritise relations with the EU by initiating the formal process for EU accession; believes that the EU should respond proportionally by providing the same technical and financial assistance as to all other candidate countries in a reforms-based, phased, proportionate and reversible manner, including through political dialogue and people-to-people contacts;

3. Reiterates that pursuant to Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union, the accession process is a merit-based process based on the Copenhagen Criteria and not a fast track procedure based on foreign relations policy alignment; encourages Armenia to not only make reforms concerning progress on the rule of law, democracy and fundamental values but also with a view to fostering upward economic alignment;

4. Reiterates the need for the sustained implementation of the EU-Armenia Partnership agenda, especially in the areas of the rule of law and governance, economic development and convergence, connectivity and infrastructure, social and human development, people-to-people contacts and the green transition;

5. Supports Armenia in its ongoing efforts to implement reforms and strengthen democracy, the rule of law and good governance; highlights the crucial role of civil society in the effective implementation of these reforms; calls on Armenia to further deepen its cooperation with the EU in this regard, and urges the EU to enhance its support in these areas, in particular through technical assistance and the exchange of expertise; encourages Armenia’s active participation in regional frameworks as a means of promoting good-neighbourly relations and regional cooperation in the South Caucasus;

6. Notes that despite these significant efforts, Armenia continues to face a range of structural and institutional challenges that affect the full consolidation of its democratic system; underlines that concerns remain regarding the full independence and consistency of the judiciary, with political influence persisting in certain high-profile or politically sensitive cases, as well as broader challenges related to the efficiency and predictability of the justice system; emphasises that the rule of law framework, though progressively strengthened through reforms, still requires deeper institutional consolidation to ensure the complete separation of powers and the equal application of the law; is alarmed by reports that journalists are occasionally exposed to pressure, intimidation or strategic litigation;

7. Calls on the Armenian authorities to take the necessary actions and implement appropriate measures to address the notable shortcomings in the effective implementation of worker’s rights and labour protection, particularly with regard to enforcement capacity, the role and influence of trade unions, and the widespread presence of informal and precarious employment;

8. Notes that LGBTIQ+ rights and legal safeguards against discrimination exist but remain incomplete in scope and uneven in enforcement, while societal acceptance continues to vary significantly, as highlighted by the 2025 Rainbow Map; calls on the Armenian authorities to take concrete steps to strengthen the protection and promotion of LGBTIQ+ rights, including by ensuring the effective enforcement of existing anti-discrimination legislation, adopting comprehensive legal safeguards against discrimination and hate speech on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, improving access to justice for victims of rights violations, and promoting public awareness and education initiatives aimed at fostering tolerance, equality and social inclusion, in line with international human rights standards;

9. Commends Armenia and Azerbaijan on the signing of the Joint Declaration on Peace and Interstate Relations, which marks an important step towards ending the decades-long Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and establishing a framework for future bilateral relations; notes that 2025 represents the first year since 1991 without casualties in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict; calls on both parties to continue engaging in good faith to implement all the commitments made and to work constructively towards resolving all outstanding issues and achieving the full normalisation of their relations on the basis of international law, mutual respect, sovereignty and territorial integrity; insists that any partnership agreement with Azerbaijan be made conditional on the effective enforcement of human rights commitments, the establishment of clear benchmarks, efforts to ensure peace and security in the region, and respect for the internationally recognised borders of its neighbouring countries; recalls, to this end, the need to release all remaining Armenian political prisoners and prisoners of war;

10. Deplores the forced displacement of 100 000 ethnic Armenians, which led to the ethnic cleansing of the indigenous Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan;

11. Deplores the destruction of Armenian cultural, religious and historical heritage since the beginning of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, notably the razing to the ground of the building of the National Assembly of Nagorno-Karabakh; calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to halt any destruction of cultural and religious heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh and to preserve, protect and promote the rich and diverse heritage of the region; calls, furthermore, for the relevant orders of the International Court of Justice to be respected and for an independent UNESCO mission allowed to visit Nagorno-Karabakh;

12. Warns against any attempt to turn Armenia into a mere geostrategic corridor in the service of external powers; reaffirms that the future of the region must lie exclusively with the sovereignty of the peoples living there, with respect for the territorial integrity of states, and without foreign political, economic or security control; notes with concern the role of the United States in the South Caucasus, in particular through the so-called Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity project, over which it exercises full ownership and which is intended to channel raw materials, critical minerals and rare earths to US markets;

13. Notes that recently, the volume of Armenia-EU bilateral trade has been increasing; emphasises that in line with the principles of sovereignty and democratic self-determination, Armenia must retain full autonomy and freedom in deciding how to shape and diversify its economic relations with third countries, without undue external pressure, and in accordance with its own development priorities and strategic interests;

14. Recognises the benefit arising from people-to-people contacts between the EU and Armenia; recognises the progress achieved by Armenia in implementing the agreements on visa facilitation; believes that it is time to advance the visa liberalisation dialogue with Armenia, conditional upon the fulfilment of all necessary benchmarks;

15. Recalls that the universal recognition of the Armenian Genocide remains a duty of every modern state; emphasises that the recognition of historical truth is not only a matter of justice for the victims and their descendants, but also a necessary prerequisite for reconciliation and peace;

16. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and the Prime Minister, Government and Parliament of the Republic of Armenia.