Armenia continues to need EU civilian mission - Mirzoyan

YEREVAN, January 8. /ARKA/. The EU civilian mission stationed in Armenia is an important factor in the current situation, said Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan.

"We are convinced that as long as Armenia does not have a delimited border, or there are areas where the border with Azerbaijan is not delimited, and as long as the baseless accusations of shelling or violations of peace by the Armenian army continue—such as those we witnessed a few days ago—we will continue to need the EU civilian mission and consider their presence essential," said Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan.

Since the beginning of 2025, Yerevan has twice denied Azerbaijan's claims about shelling from positions of the Armenian Armed Forces on the southeastern border, stating that these claims are false.

About the EU mission in Armenia

The EU Civilian Mission to Armenia (EUMA) was launched on February 20, 2023, as part of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), with a two-year mandate. In January 2024, the EU Council decided to increase the mission's size by 50%, bringing the total number of personnel to 209.

EUMA conducts patrols from six operational bases in Kapan, Goris, Jermuk, Yeghegnadzor, Martuni, and Ijevan. The mission aims to stabilize the situation in Armenia's border areas, build confidence and security for people in conflict-affected regions, and create conditions conducive to the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan with EU support.

In October, Mirzoyan mentioned that the EU was considering the extension of the mandate for its civilian observer mission in Armenia.