I urged the immediate withdrawal of forces back behind the line of contact, in line with calls from all three Minsk Group Co-Chair countries. I also recalled the European Parliament resolution of 10 March 2022 on the destruction of cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh and stressed the need for Azerbaijan to urgently allow the planned UNESCO independent technical mission to access the region and perform its work unhindered.

I welcomed the announcement of the meeting of the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan and the President of the European Council on 6 April in Brussels and expressed hope that the EU will be able to contribute to the achievement of sustainable peace in the region. I urged Azerbaijan to refrain from any unilateral actions that might undermine such efforts.