Yerevan expert: EU mission sent to Armenia to be paramilitary structure

Political scientist Stepan Danielyan has said that the EU Mission in Armenia (EUMA) sent to Armenia will in reality be a paramilitary structure.

He made the remarks in an interview with Armenian media to comment on all the problems that may arise in Armenia with Russia and Iran in the light of the despatch of the mission, Caliber.Az reports.

"A man who has worked in Iraq for many years has been appointed commander of the mission. All 100 members of the mission who will be sent to Armenia will in reality be members of the special services or the military, although the mission is presented as a civilian one. The infrastructure for servicing the mission will be formed. At the same time, they will mainly be located in the Syunik region (Zangazur – ed.).

"And all this is happening against the background of general tension between Russia and the West and the German foreign minister's statement that "the EU is fighting against Russia". The Russian side, represented by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, has already stated that it considers the mission unacceptable and does not proceed from the interests of the conflicting parties. After that, the Foreign Ministry issued a separate statement on the mission.

"Now in the EU, we see the presence of the EU, and in fact, the United States, which to a certain extent is a paramilitary presence, there is also a Russian military base and strong points in Syunik, we see the position of Iran, which declares that it will not tolerate border changes and a foreign military presence at its borders," he said.

It should be noted that the decision to establish the EU civil mission in Armenia within the framework of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) was made at Armenia's request.

The EUMA's initial mandate will be valid for two years, and its operational headquarters will be located in Armenia. The commander of the civil operation will be Stefano Tomat, Managing Director of the Civil Planning and Conduct Department. In the near future, a head of mission will be appointed to lead operations on the ground.