EU to continue monitoring Armenia-Azerbaijan border, awaits peace deal ratification A statement from Brussels

The European Union will maintain its monitoring presence along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border through its European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA), a statement from Brussels says.

The EU also reaffirmed its support for the ongoing peace process between the two South Caucasus nations, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Anitta Hipper, EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, confirmed the continuation of the mission, noting that any adjustments to its mandate would be the result of direct consultations between Armenia and the EU.

Hipper said that the mission’s mandate was to observe and report on the situation on the ground on the Armenian side along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, emphasizing the EU's ongoing commitment to regional stability and confidence-building efforts.

The statement follows the initialing of a long-anticipated peace agreement between Yerevan and Baku, a significant step toward ending decades of hostilities and formalizing relations after the 2020 Karabakh war and subsequent clashes.

Hipper added that the European Union had welcomed the initialing of the peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia and had called on the parties to sign and ratify it as soon as possible.

On February 20, 2023, the European Union officially launched its civilian mission in Armenia (EU Mission in Armenia – EUMA) under the framework of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP).

The formal establishment of EUMA was authorized by a Council Decision adopted on January 23, 2023. Deployed exclusively on the Armenian side of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, the mission is tasked with advancing several strategic objectives. Chief among them are the promotion of stability in border regions, the reinforcement of human security in areas impacted by conflict, and the cultivation of mutual trust between the parties.

By Vafa Guliyeva