Aliyev Seems Not Far from Starting a New War, Swedish MP

Swedish Parliament member Erik Helmsborn has positively assessed the extension of the European Union mission's mandate in Armenia: "The mission can help prevent further possible aggressive actions by Azerbaijan against Armenia," he stated in an interview with an Armenpress correspondent.

The parliamentarian spoke about the decision to extend the mandate of the EU mission in Armenia for another two years. Helmsborn lamented the fact that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev continues to use warlike rhetoric against Armenia. "I think this is very positive. Unfortunately, Baku repeatedly employs very aggressive rhetoric against Yerevan. Aliyev seems not far from starting a new war. We hope that the EU mission can help prevent that," Helmsborn noted.

He also addressed the constant complaints voiced by Azerbaijan regarding the EU monitoring mission in Armenia, recalling that it was Baku itself that refused to allow EU observers on its territory. The parliamentarian deemed Azerbaijan's claims that the EU monitoring mission in Armenia conducts espionage or intelligence work along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border as absurd.

"The European Union would prefer to work on both sides (the territories of Armenia and Azerbaijan), but Baku has rejected that. The claims that there are spies within the mission are absurd. The mission is very transparent, and it even informs in advance where it will conduct patrols," emphasized the Swedish MP.

In response to President Ilham Aliyev's demand to remove the EU monitoring mission from the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that Yerevan offered to remove EU monitors from already demarcated sections of the border. Nevertheless, the Swedish parliamentarian advised against limiting the mission's mandate. "Of course, these issues are decided by Prime Minister Pashinyan and the Armenian parliament, but I would advise against limiting the mission's mandate. The members of the mission know what they are doing and are capable of making informed decisions about where the best place to patrol is," the Swedish MP added.

Commenting on Baku's grievances and the real purpose behind such statements, Erik Helmsborn said, "The question that should be asked here is, what is Baku afraid of? Afraid of what the EU might see."