EU Council increases number of European observers in Armenia

The Council of the European Union approved an increase in the number of European observers from 138 to 209 in Armenia.

The Council of the EU made the relevant remarks on X, APA reports.

To recap, the EUMA was formally established by a Council Decision on 23 January 2023, the European Council said in a statement on February 20, 2023.

Through its deployment on the Armenian side of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, the objectives are to contribute to stability in the border areas of Armenia, build confidence and human security in conflict-affected areas, and ensure an environment conducive to the normalisation efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan supported by the EU.

The total – exclusively civilian - staff of the EUMA will be approximately 100, including around 50 unarmed observers.

The Operational Headquarters of the mission will be in Yeghegnadzor, in Armenia’s Vayots Dzor province.

EEAS Managing Director of the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC) Stefano Tomat will serve as the Civilian Operation Commander, while Markus Ritter will serve as the Head of Mission.