Polish President Duda joins European surveillance mission at Azerbaijan-Armenia border

Polish President Andrzej Duda, currently visiting Armenia, conducted patrols alongside EU "observers" deployed in the country. 

He also met with Polish nationals involved in the EU’s reconnaissance and observation mission, Caliber.Az reports citing the Polish President’s official X (formerly Twitter) account.

🇦🇲Spotkanie Prezydenta RP @AndrzejDuda z polskim personelem w punkcie obserwacyjnym Misji UE.

Szefem Misji Unii Europejskiej w Republice Armenii (EUMA) jest Markus Ritter, a wiceszefem jest Polak - Marek Kuberski. Misja została ustanowiona w lutym 2023 roku na okres dwóch lat, a… pic.twitter.com/vpSfkpCnxx

— Kancelaria Prezydenta (@prezydentpl) November 27, 2024

The EU mission, which began in February 2023 and is set to last for two years, is led by Markus Ritter, the head of the mission, with Polish national Marek Kuberski serving as his deputy. The mission’s primary objective is to monitor and patrol the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as stated in the post.

While the EU mission was deployed to Armenia’s border regions with the aim of promoting "stability," Azerbaijan has raised concerns over its presence. On November 22, EU "observers" were once again stationed along the Azerbaijan-Armenia border, continuing their intelligence gathering and patrol activities.

The operations by EU observers, working alongside Armenian military forces, have been an activation of revanchist sentiments within Armenia, driven by the country’s rearmament efforts and its unyielding stance in negotiations. This reflects the EU's disinterest in facilitating peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

In a development on November 23, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan proposed that the EU civilian mission be removed from areas where the border delimitation process has already been completed. "There is no need to keep observers where delimitation has been carried out," Pashinyan noted.

The EU mission is set to conclude its current mandate in February 2025, unless the Armenian authorities request an extension.

By Tamilla Hasanova