ArmInfo.There is an intention to extend the EU Monitoring Mission in Armenia. EUMA Deputy Head of Mission Marek Kuberski stated this on October 12 in Yerevan at the forum "Crossroads of Peace: combining security and democracy", noting that if the decision is made, the EU mission will remain in Armenia for another two years.
"I would not expect significant changes in the mandate if the mission
is extended. I believe that the mandate will probably be more or less
the same. Member States share the same idea: we must remain impartial
and continue to work through "soft security". In the villages, in the
border areas, people tell us that they feel safer, that there have
been fewer incidents since we arrived at the border. We are very
encouraged by the continuation of our work here," he said. In turn,
Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan stated
that the EU civilian observation mission in the country ensures
transparency in the region. He added that Armenia highly appreciates
what the EU mission in Armenia is doing.
"I would like to note one more important thing in the context of
Armenia-EU relations. The goal of the mission is not to change the
perception of the European Union by Armenians, but EUMA did this.
This mission also brings transparency to the region, which is also
very important. Before April 5 of this year (the Armenia-EU-US summit
was held on April 5, 2024 – ed.), many media outlets in Azerbaijan
accused us of allegedly trying to escalate the situation and pull new
forces to the border. The EU mission played an important role and, by
ensuring transparency, showed what was happening in the region and
refuted these false accusations," Grigoryan said.
According to him, the Armenian authorities are striving to expand the
concept of security and apply a comprehensive approach, and diversify
both security and the economy. Let us add that earlier, the EU
Representative for External Relations and Security Policy Peter
Stano, commenting on the statement of the Chief of the General Staff
of the Azerbaijani Army that the deployment of EU observers in
Armenia hinders the Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement, the European
Union informed the Azerbaijani authorities about its observation
mission in Armenia and is ready for further cooperation with
Azerbaijan.
In an interview with the Azerbaijani service of Radio Liberty, Peter
Stano said that Brussels "fully supports all efforts aimed at
establishing a lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan."
Recall that on 23 January 2023, the EU Council agreed to establish a
new EU civilian mission to Armenia (EUMA) within the framework of the
Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). The goal of the declared
Mission is to promote stability in the border areas of Armenia, build
confidence on the ground and provide an environment conducive to
EU-supported efforts to normalize relations between Armenia and
Azerbaijan.
The EU civilian mission to Armenia will include up to 100
specialists. More than 8 million euros have been allocated for the
first four months of the Mission. EUMA's initial mandate is for two
years, and its operational headquarters is located in Yeghegnadzor.
The civilian operation commander is Stefano Tomat, Managing Director
of the EEAS Civilian Planning and Conduct Unit (CPCC).
The mission began operating on 20 February 2023. Its composition
included, among others, 8 French gendarmes and 15 police officers
from Germany. In addition, on December 11, 2023, following the
meeting of the EU Foreign Ministers, the High Representative of the
European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell
announced his intention to increase the number of the mission to 209
people.
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