On supporting democratic resilience in Armenia

B100199/2026

European Parliament resolution on supporting democratic resilience in Armenia

(2026/2701(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Armenia,

– 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),

– having regard the speech by Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan before the plenary of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 11 March 2026,

– having regard to the joint press statement of 3 December 2025 following the sixth meeting of the EU-Armenia Partnership Council,

– having regard to Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/894 of 21 April 2026 establishing the EU Partnership Mission in Armenia,

– having regard to Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/2010 of 22 July 2024 on an assistance measure under the European Peace Facility to support the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia,

– having regard to the 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, which was ratified on 30 June 2025 and welcomed following the sixth meeting of the EU-Armenia Partnership Council on 2 December 2025,

– having regard to Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/211 of 30 January 2025 amending Decision (CFSP) 2023/162 on a European Union mission in Armenia (EUMA), which extended the EUMA mandate for two years,

– having regard to the Washington Peace Summit of August 2025,

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

A. whereas EU-Armenia relations have gained strong momentum in recent years; whereas the EU-Armenia Partnership Council has reaffirmed shared values, adopted a new strategic agenda for the EU-Armenia Partnership, and described it as a major step in deepening and advancing bilateral ties; whereas the EU reaffirmed its steadfast support for Armenia’s comprehensive political and economic reform agenda, its efforts to counter hybrid threats, and the progress it has made in the visa-liberalisation dialogue, the implementation of the CEPA and the EUR 270 million resilience and growth plan;

B. whereas on 26 March 2025, Armenia’s parliament adopted the Law on Launching the Accession Process of the Republic of Armenia to the European Union;

C. whereas the eighth Summit of the European Political Community will take place in Yerevan on 4 May 2026, followed by the first ever EU-Armenia Summit on 4 and 5 May 2026; whereas both summits, held consecutively in Yerevan, represent an exceptional and historic political signal of European solidarity with Armenia; whereas they will focus on strengthening bilateral relations, in particular connectivity in energy, transport and digital, and on ensuring peace, security, connectivity and prosperity in the South Caucasus;

D. whereas on 21 April 2026 the Council established the EU Partnership Mission in Armenia (EUPM Armenia) under the Common Security and Defence Policy as a further contribution to enhancing Armenia’s democratic resilience and its ability to manage crises; whereas this mission will support Armenia in facing multi-layered threats such as foreign information manipulation and interference, cyberattacks and illicit financial flows;

E. whereas Armenia will hold parliamentary elections on 7 June 2026; whereas Armenia’s democratic resilience depends on free, fair, competitive and peaceful elections, strong institutions, an active civil society, independent media, and robust safeguards against disinformation, illicit financing, vote-buying, coercion and other forms of malign interference; whereas foreign interference has increasingly operated through domestic amplifiers, including oligarchic networks and religious actors, who serve to legitimise and spread disinformation narratives and anti-democratic rhetoric; whereas these dynamics mirror patterns observed during recent elections in Moldova and Georgia, where foreign-backed interference attempted to manipulate electoral outcomes and undermine sovereign voter choice;

F. whereas the EUMA continues to play a vital role in contributing to stability, to confidence-building and to human security in conflict-affected areas; whereas the Council extended the mandate of the EUMA for two years on 30 January 2025;

G. whereas the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), announced at the Washington Peace Summit on 8 August 2025, envisages the establishment of multimodal transit connectivity through Armenian territory, linking mainland Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, while fully respecting Armenia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and jurisdiction;

1. Welcomes the strong momentum in EU-Armenia relations and Armenia’s continued commitment to democracy, the rule of law, human rights and ambitious political and economic reforms;

2. Welcomes the adoption of the new Strategic Agenda for the EU-Armenia Partnership, the progress in the implementation of the CEPA, the advances in the visa-liberalisation dialogue, and the continued implementation of the resilience and growth plan; welcomes, in this regard, Armenia’s legislative and policy efforts that aim to deepen relations with the EU;

3. Welcomes the holding of both the eighth European Political Community Summit and the first ever EU-Armenia Summit in Yerevan on 4 and 5 May 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’s commitment to supporting Armenia’s peace, reform and resilience agenda; calls on EU and Armenian leaders to use this opportunity to draw up ambitious and concrete targets;

4. Welcomes the Council decision of 21 April 2026 establishing EUPM Armenia; considers that the establishment of EUPM Armenia, alongside the EUMA, marks an important new stage in the EU’s support for Armenia’s democratic resilience, crisis-management capacity and ability to counter foreign information manipulation and interference, cyber-attacks and illicit financial flows;

5. Strongly condemns foreign information manipulation and interference, disinformation campaigns and other hybrid threats directed against Armenia, notably those emanating from Russia and its proxies, as well as the role of certain domestic actors, including oligarchic networks, in amplifying such threats; considers that both external interference and domestic amplification pose a serious risk to Armenia’s democratic institutions, electoral integrity and sovereign decision-making; stresses that democratic disagreement must remain fully anchored in constitutional order, the rule of law and political pluralism;

6. Expresses its support for free, fair, competitive and peaceful parliamentary elections in Armenia in June 2026; stresses that the Armenian people alone must determine their country’s future; calls for robust safeguards against disinformation, illicit financing, vote-buying, coercion and any other form of foreign-backed or domestically amplified interference; welcomes EU support aimed at protecting electoral integrity and voters’ capacity to make sovereign choices;

7. Calls on the Commission, the European External Action Service and the Member States to further deepen cooperation with Armenia in the areas of democratic governance, the rule of law, judicial reform, anti-corruption, cybersecurity, strategic communication, media literacy, resilience against hybrid threats and the fight against illicit financial flows;

8. Calls for increased EU support for Armenia’s civil society, independent media, local democratic institutions and reform-oriented public administration, recognising their essential role in strengthening democratic resilience and public trust;

9. Strongly supports Armenia’s continued efforts towards peace, reconciliation and the full normalisation of relations with Azerbaijan; welcomes the progress achieved in the peace process, and reiterates its support for the further consolidation and institutionalisation of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan; stresses that any sustainable peace must be grounded in respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders;

10. Reiterates its support for the rights of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians, including the right to safe, unimpeded and dignified return under appropriate international observation and security guarantees; calls for the protection of Armenian cultural, historical and religious heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh, and for Azerbaijan to allow a UNESCO mission to assess relevant sites;

11. Condemns the unjust detention of Armenian prisoners of war and hostages by Azerbaijan; demands their immediate and unconditional release; strongly denounces the ongoing sham trials and systematic violations of their fundamental rights, and calls for full respect for international humanitarian and human rights law;

12. Welcomes the EU’s readiness to advance regional connectivity with Armenia through the Global Gateway initiative and through cross-regional connectivity initiatives, in line with Armenia’s Crossroads of Peace initiative; supports stronger cooperation in energy, transport, digital connectivity, economic diversification, trade, climate and demining, as concrete contributions to peace, resilience and prosperity in the South Caucasus;

13. Welcomes the adoption of the EUMA civil society strategy; considers it an important step in broadening the mission’s engagement with Armenian civil society beyond its core security monitoring mandate, and encourages the EUMA to deepen its outreach to local democratic actors, community organisations and independent media as part of its contribution to democratic resilience;

14. Welcomes continued efforts towards the normalisation of relations between Armenia and Türkiye, as an important contribution to regional stability, reconciliation and connectivity; encourages both parties to pursue sustained dialogue and further practical confidence-building steps, in line with the objective of a peaceful, secure and more connected South Caucasus region;

15. 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, 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.