Deployment of Civil Mission in Armenia Must Be Ensured Appropriately, Considering Azerbaijani Interests: Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry

The decision of the European Council regarding the establishment of a civil mission in Armenia is acknowledged by Azerbaijan, as stated in a press release from the country’s Foreign Ministry today.

“We maintain a firm stance that such actions, including the border demarcation process (between Armenia and Azerbaijan), which should be conducted solely on a bilateral basis, should not harm the process of normalizing relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia,” the ministry stated.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry added that during several consultations held with EU representatives, it was emphasized that the presence of the EU mission in Armenia should not serve as a pretext for Armenia to evade its obligations. The misuse of the EU mission’s presence against existing dialogue mechanisms is dangerous and should be avoided.

It is recalled that the day before, EU Foreign Ministers approved the establishment of a civil mission in Armenia to contribute to stabilization in the Caucasus, according to a statement from the EU Council.

The mission’s mandate is set for two years, and its leader will be appointed in the near future. Although the Azerbaijani side asserts that the deployment of the mission in Armenia should be ensured appropriately, considering Azerbaijani interests, the country has repeatedly demonstrated that any mission placement or the presence of peacekeepers does not hinder it from executing its anti-Armenian policies.