EU Proposal for Armenia

The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs has proposed to extend the deployment of the European Union's civilian mission in Armenia for another two years. This was reported to ‘Azatutyun’ by the high representative’s press office.

“Member states have welcomed the proposal and are currently discussing the necessary legal acts with the appropriate bodies of the European Council. A decision by the Council regarding the extension is expected in the coming days,” the written response stated.

For months, Baku has accused the mission of espionage and of violating regional stability. In response to these accusations, the high representative's office stated: “The mandate of the EU mission in Armenia is very clear: to observe and report on the situation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and to contribute to the EU's efforts in facilitating Armenian-Azerbaijani resolution.” Since the deployment of the observation mission, the number of armed incidents in border areas has significantly decreased. As it is known, the EU regularly informs Azerbaijan about the activities of the mission.

In February 2023, 100 civilian observers first arrived in Armenia, and their numbers doubled months later. Baku demands an end to the EU mission’s activities at the border. In an interview with Public Television on November 22, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan confirmed that this issue is indeed being discussed with Baku and that the Armenian side has proposed to remove the EU observers from the demarcated sections to Azerbaijan.