EU announces expansion of its mission in Armenia to 209 people

The EU foreign ministers have decided to expand the size of their civilian mission in Armenia by 50 per cent - from 138 to 209 personnel, said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell during a press conference following the meeting of EU foreign ministers.

"Today, the EU Council has made the decision to reinforce our civilian mission in Armenia, elevating our presence on the ground from 138 to 209 individuals. This significant increase aims to enhance stability along Armenia's international border with Azerbaijan," he stated, Trend reports.

Previously, the EU also doubled the humanitarian aid package to 10.45 million euros and activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism in response to Armenia's request, with the aim of "tackling socio-economic needs and supporting food and fuel," as they assert. However, there is no proof whatsoever of where those funds go to meet Yerevan's needs.

Moreover, recently, Borrell came out with the claim that Azerbaijan had supposedly "expelled" 150,000 Armenians from Karabakh. The extent to which Borrell envisions the number of Karabakh Armenians is beyond imagination.

Now, by increasing the number of Europeans at the Azerbaijan-Armenia border, the EU, represented by Borrell, is simply stirring up trouble once again. Against the backdrop of the recently hashed-out agreements between Azerbaijan and Armenia, such moves can be nothing but a deliberate attempt to undercut the peace process.

Azerbaijan has proved its capability to address any emerging issues with Armenia independently, without the need for mediation from third parties. Figures such as Borrell do not possess the authority to interfere in Azerbaijan's foreign policy or jeopardize its ties with the EU. It's about time that EU political leaders abandon this two-faced approach and eliminate double standards.