ArmInfo.Sending a EU monitoring mission to the Armenian-Azerbaijani border could hinder the normalization process, Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Sahiba Gafarova stated on February 17.
She stated her position during her meetings in Russia as well, Ms Gafarova said.
On January 23, the EU Council agreed to establish a civilian European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP).
The objective of the Mission is to contribute to stability in the border areas of Armenia, building confidence on the ground, and ensuring an environment conducive to normalisation efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan supported by the EU.
"The establishment of an EU Mission in Armenia launches a new phase in the EU's engagement in the South Caucasus. The EU will continue to support de-escalation efforts and is committed to work closely with both sides towards the ultimate goal of sustainable peace in the region," Josep Borrell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said.
Speaking in Parliament on February 8, Armenia's Premier Nikol Pashinyan argued for the deployment of the new EU mission in Armenia. He pointed out that Baku is trying to argue for its aggression against Armenia on many international platforms by claiming that, by beefing up the Russian military presence in Armenia, Armenia's premier is seeking an aggression against Azerbaijan. So Azerbaijan had to capture the heights to balance the situation. "Our western partners are saying to us, 'you want to capture Azerbaijani territories'. So we introduced an initiative to send observers here," Mr Pashinyan said. Armenia's relations with the CSTO and EU have no geopolitical implications. Rather, there is a political agenda and a specific issue official Yerevan is trying to settle.