EU Mission in Armenia extended for 2 years

Hours ago, ambassadors from EU countries in Brussels approved a decision regarding the EU monitoring mission in Armenia, allowing European observers to remain in the country’s border regions for an additional two years, until Feb. 19, 2027.

According to Ricard Yozviak, editor for European affairs at Azatutyun, the EU has left the mission’s mandate unchanged, which was established two years ago to help reduce the number of incidents in Armenia’s border and conflict-affected areas, lower the level of danger for the local population, and thereby contribute to the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations on the ground.

The number of observers, according to the draft decision, will remain unchanged, with 165 international and 44 Armenian personnel.

According to the EU Mission in Armenia, this decision is expected to be formally confirmed by the foreign ministers of EU member states in the near future, which is largely a formality, as the ambassadors of those countries have already expressed their governments’ stance by voting in favor of the proposal.

The area monitored by the mission, according to an official statement, spans the entirety of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, including the Nakhijevan segment.

“Given the huge size of the area, the mission is unable to observe every incident occurring along the border with the resources at its disposal,” the observer mission stated, adding that “patrols strive to visit areas where incidents have occurred, subsequently reporting to the EU headquarters based on information obtained from open sources and reliable eyewitnesses.”