If Armenian Authorities Do Not Submit Extension Request, EU Mission Will Conclude: 'Hayrabar'

'Hayrabar' reports: According to certain information, Armenia intends to comply with Azerbaijan's latest demand by not extending the mandate of the EU monitoring mission in Armenia. The Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijani Army, Kerim Valiyev, recently stated that the deployment of the EU mission along the 'conditional border' with Armenia is escalating the situation. He noted, 'The placement of the EU monitoring mission, as well as the armament of Armenia by some countries outside the region, particularly France, has led to the activation of revanchist forces in Armenia, creating obstacles to the normalization of relations and the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, thus escalating the situation in the South Caucasus.'

The media has not been able to officially confirm this news, as responses to inquiries have not been received from either the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the monitoring mission.

It is important to note that the monitors arrived in Armenia in 2023 for a period of two years, and their mandate will expire in February 2025. If Armenian authorities do not submit an extension request, the mission will conclude. Political circles believe that this may explain why Nikol Pashinyan preemptively withdrew Russian border guards from the Armenia-Iran border, so he is not accused of pro-Russian sentiments when the monitors' mandate is not extended.