The European Parliament building in Brussels

BRUSSELS—The European Parliament on Thursday adopted a resolution on its European Neighborhood Policy, encouraging “informal contacts and consultations with the societies and de facto authorities of the breakaway territories.”

This stems from a provision in the resolution, which calls on relevant EU bodies or agencies to step up their involvement in the resolution to “protracted conflicts in Transnistria and the South Caucasus based on the principles of international law – in particular non-use of force, self-determination and territorial integrity.”

The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic being dubbed a “protracted” conflict and a country, which the international community considers to have “de facto authorities” falls under the scope of the Thursday Europarlaiment resolution.

“The European Parliament notes the EU’s stronger engagement in security issues in the Eastern Neighborhood with the establishment of the EUBAM in Moldova and the EUMM in Georgia; calls on the VP/HR and the EEAS to step up their involvement in finding a solution to the protracted conflicts in Transnistria and the South Caucasus based on the principles of international law – in particular non-use of force, self-determination and territorial integrity – through more active policy stances, more active participation and a more prominent role in permanent and ad hoc conflict resolution structures, including already existing negotiating formats, particularly those of the OSCE,” said the resolution.

“In the next clause, the EP calls on the VP/HR and the EEAS to develop more confidence-building measures and programs, including the launching of new missions and public communication strategies and the consideration of pragmatic initiatives and innovative approaches such as informal contacts and consultations with the societies and de facto authorities of the breakaway territories, while conserving the EU’s non-recognition policy, in order to support civic culture and community dialogue,” further clarified the resolution.