Cross interview by the Armenian news agency Armenpress and the Azerbaijani news agency APA with EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia, Magdalena Grono
The environment has dramatically changed over the past few months since the initialling of the Agreement on Establishment of Peace and Inter-State Relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan
APA/Armenpress: Ms. Grono, you recently paid visits to Azerbaijan and Armenia. Given that Azerbaijan and Armenia are now negotiating without intermediaries, the purpose and focus of your visits naturally draw attention. Could you please elaborate on this?
Magdalena Grono: First of all, allow me to warmly thank both of you for this opportunity to have an interview in this format. It further underlines the new reality that we have been going through in the region over the past few months. I’m very pleased to engage with both of you, as leading news agencies in your respective countries.
The environment has dramatically changed over the past few months since the initialling of the Agreement on Establishment of Peace and Inter-State Relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It allowed the much-needed opening of a new era between your two countries and the region.
Yes, you’re right, Baku and Yerevan have agreed to prioritise their bilateral channel of negotiation, and we fully respect that. In many ways, the “bilateralisation” of negotiations – that are productive and constructive – is one of the most impressive achievements. US colleagues have significantly helped advance this through the breakthrough agreements in Washington, DC, in August 2025. The EU very much welcomed the initialling of the peace treaty in Washington, and the joint agreements reached on the occasion of the US-hosted leaders’ meeting with President Trump.
As also acknowledged by the sides, their ongoing successful bilateral format certainly draws on past substance, formulas and contacts developed also in other formats. We do feel that past processes, including the series of meetings between President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Pashinyan that we used to refer to as the “Brussels Process” under the auspices of then President of the European Council, Charles Michel – in which I also had the privilege to take part – contributed to the readiness of the sides to handle the talks bilaterally. This framework was very much valued by the sides as a new format providing the leaders with the space needed for bilateral and trilateral talks, in addition to other formats.
However, our interest is not limited to the negotiations table only. The EU wants to support the process and the sides in their efforts to advance peace, stability and prosperity in the region, a core interest for the EU. My latest visits to Baku (4-5 November) and Yerevan (18-19 November) were part of my regular exchanges with the leaderships. My discussions with interlocutors now focus on EU’s role in support of the peace process and measures aimed at ensuring that people see and feel tangible benefits of peace. In addition to the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process, this also includes regional cooperation, the Armenia-Türkiye normalisation, connectivity opportunities and humanitarian issues such as demining efforts and the search for missing persons. We will continue to be strongly engaged and explore new opportunities, where the EU can be helpful for our Armenian and Azerbaijani partners on their way towards full-fledged peace.
As a result of our exchanges with the sides and the US, we have recently prioritised the Nakhchivan segment of the future regional connectivity infrastructure
Armenpress / APA: Armenia and Azerbaijan initialled a peace agreement in Washington on 8 August, and agreements were also reached on the unblocking of communications in the South Caucasus. How do you assess the agreements reached in Washington? What is the EU's view on the possibility of participating in the process of opening regional communications? To what extent is the EU interested in participating, in particular, in the implementation of the “Trump Route” project, and is there any interest in using the logistical opportunities that this route will provide?
Magdalena Grono: The initialling of the peace agreement in Washington DC was a truly historic achievement, which changed the picture in the region in a way that was unthinkable even six months ago. There is new commitment, new energy, new atmosphere in the region – new opportunities. This is incredibly positive and a chance that needs to be supported by all,
The EU commended both Armenia and Azerbaijan for their leadership and visionary strategy, which created a new environment thanks to compromise and forward-looking approaches. In addition, several agreements and common understandings were reached between the sides and the United States on this occasion, especially on connectivity, for instance on the TRIPP.
Since then, the EU has also been in close contact with both Armenia and Azerbaijan, but also its American partners, to coordinate our approaches and seek complementarities. We have also been engaged with our partners in Central Asia for a long time to explore possibilities for increasing cooperation and connectivity. More recently, this naturally included new opportunities TRIPP may have opened. The Connectivity Agenda and the Middle Corridor are key priorities for the EU, and it is clear they pertain to critical infrastructure for the region. As a result of our exchanges with the sides and the US, we have recently prioritised the Nakhchivan segment of the future regional connectivity infrastructure. This – of course – includes linkages into Armenia both in the south and north of Nakhchivan to effectively link up the 42-km TRIPP segment and make sure that the projects are inclusive for the entire region. We are currently exploring feasibility studies and possible investment opportunities, seeking to bring in also the IFIs and private sector.
Azerbaijan’s decision to lift the restrictions on the transit of goods to the Armenian market is one of the latest positive developments between the sides
APA: Azerbaijan has recently lifted restrictions on grain transit to Armenia — a notable step toward normalization. What steps can the European Union take to further support dialogue and engagement between societies?
Magdalena Grono: Indeed, Baku’s decision to lift restrictions on transit of goods for Armenia’s market via Azerbaijan’s territory is one of the latest positive developments between the sides. We warmly welcomed it, together with other recent positive steps and measures such as the launch and conduct of roundtable expert discussions in Yerevan (21-22 October) and Baku (21-22 November), the series of meetings between Speakers of Armenia’s and Azerbaijan’s Parliaments in Geneva, meetings of parliamentarians (including most recently in Istanbul), as well as the visit paid by Armenia’s NSS Director to Baku, and continued bilateral meetings dedicated to delimitation / demarcation and missing persons issues.
All these developments are indeed historic, as they are bringing new dynamics and build opportunities for much-needed confidence building.
During my visits to the region, I always dedicate time for meetings with civil society representatives, both in Yerevan and Baku. There are plenty of great experts and professionals, whose work towards full-fledged reconciliation we fully endorse. We are ready to support this work so as to further amplify the message of peace. In addition, we will continue to provide our political support to sustain dialogue and broad reconciliation efforts between societies, including by actively presenting the benefits of peace to a wider audience.
Armenian and Azerbaijani sides can also move forward on unresolved issues
Armenpress: But, nevertheless, despite the initialling of the peace agreement, the Azerbaijani side continues to put certain preconditions to the Armenian side for the final signing of the peace agreement. As you know, there is also the issue of Armenian prisoners held in Baku. What do you think the European Union can do to finally have the parties sign a peace agreement and the region enter a phase of stable and lasting peace and development? Don’t you think that to achieve final peace, it is important to resolve humanitarian issues, and what can the European Union do in this area?
Magdalena Grono: You’re right, there are some unresolved issues that still require close attention from the sides as well as international partners. It is our hope that, given the recent new environment and building on the series of bilateral successes, the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides can also move forward on these unresolved issues. Everything seems to be in place for this to happen, but this is ultimately for the sides to decide how to handle this or that issue. On the issue of Armenian prisoners, it is our understanding that it is also being discussed between the sides. For our part, we would certainly continue to support due process, including humanitarian access and medical visits to the detainees.
For long-term reconciliation to happen and to make peace irreversible, all issues will certainly need to be addressed, including the most sensitive ones. We believe that the initialling of the peace agreement provided the first step in this direction. Since then, the sides have been in close contact, at various levels, on many other issues. They discuss the practical implementation of agreed steps, or engage on next steps, for instance regarding the continuation of the delimitation and demarcation process. We also very much appreciate the fact that the sides’ rhetoric has generally improved, also to levels unseen until now.
There are still fresh wounds from the various phases of conflict, as I said also several unresolved issues, including humanitarian ones, and societal reconciliation is an area where the EU would certainly be well placed to provide expertise and relevant advisory guidance, should the sides find it useful.
The EU Monitoring Mission in Armenia will continue to perform its activities at least until the end of its current mandate
APA: Azerbaijan and Armenia have agreed not to deploy any third-party forces along their border. In this context, what is the EU’s position regarding the future of the EU Monitoring Mission in Armenia (EUMA)?
Magdalena Grono: The current mandate of the Mission was extended in January 2025 for a further two years, until 19 February 2027. It is my understanding that – unless requested otherwise – it will continue to perform its activities at least until the end of its current mandate.
I also would like to use this opportunity to strongly deny all disinformation narratives about the Mission. As a full-fledged civilian mission, its goal is to observe and report with full impartiality on the situation on the ground on the Armenian side of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border and contribute to confidence- building among communities living in the immediate vicinity of the border.
The Mission has for instance reported about an improved sense of security and stability since the first segment of the bilateral border was delimited last year, a sense which seems to have increased considerably further since the initialling of the peace agreement in August 2025.
Armenpress: Relations between Armenia and the European Union have been developing very actively recently, Armenia has adopted a law on starting the process of becoming a member of the European Union, the Prime Minister of Armenia has stated that Armenia is ready to get as close to the European Union as the European Union would like, the process of liberalizing EU visas for Armenian citizens is in an active phase. Do you consider Armenia’s membership in the European Union possible in the near future, and in general, how do you assess the current stage of development of relations?
Magdalena Grono: These issues are not part of my mandate per se, and I believe the EEAS and the EU Delegation in Armenia will be best placed to provide a comprehensive answer.
Having said that, I can personally add that I’ve been closely following all these developments and I’m very pleased and encouraged to see the current level of EU-Armenia relations. It’s gratifying and highly motivating to move along this path together with the Armenian population. We are very much looking forward to the upcoming meeting of the EU-Armenia Partnership Council due to take place in Brussels in December 2025 as well as to the 8th EPC Summit scheduled for May 2026 in Yerevan.
I am pleased to observe the new positive momentum that has emerged after Kaja Kallas’s visit to Baku
APA: There is currently a general understanding between Azerbaijan and the EU to launch negotiations on new Partnership Priorities and to resume discussions on a new comprehensive draft Agreement. How do you assess the prospects for future cooperation between Azerbaijan and the European Union in this framework?
Magdalena Grono: Here also, this issue is not part of my mandate, and I believe the EEAS and the EU Delegation in Azerbaijan will be best placed to provide a comprehensive answer.
Nevertheless, I’m personally pleased to observe the new positive momentum in EU-Azerbaijan relations, in particular since the visit of HR/VP Kallas to Baku last April. We hope that ongoing negotiations on new Partnership Priorities and discussions on a new draft bilateral Agreement can yield results very soon, so that we can focus on our bilateral agenda in a positive and comprehensive manner.
