Brussels 29 Jan (Europa Press) –
The European Union has agreed on Wednesday the extension two more years, until February 2027, of its civil mission deployed in Armenia that focuses on the patrolling and observation of the internationally recognized border with Azerbaiyan.
European sources advance to Europa Press the agreement at the level of ambassadors to extend the operation implied in 2023 at the request of Ereván to contribute to security in the border area, conflict scenario with Baku, and foster stability and confidence between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In the background, it seeks to generate an environment conducive to standardization efforts between Ereván and Baku.
The mission has a maximum of 209 troops, of which 44 are local. The civilian observers and experts from the mission come from 23 EU member states in addition to Canada.
The presence of the EU in Armenia did not stop the offensive launched by Baku against the separatist region of Nagorno Karabaj in the late 2023 and which caused the exodus of the Armenian population from the Azeri region. Then the European mission continued with its work by not being directly affected by the conflict.
Specifically, the EU has a police deployment in the city of Yeghegnadzor, half of the contingent is armed and performs routine patrol and surveillance of the situation in the field. In front is the German police command Markus Ritte, with previous experience in European security missions in Kosovo and with the Frontex agency.
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