Sargis Khandanyan: EU Civil Mission in Armenia played a stabilizing  role

ArmInfo. Armenia's appeal to the EU on the deployment of the EU civilian mission along the border  for a longer period was based on the needs of the state. Sargis Khandanyan, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations  of the National Assembly of Armenia, stated this during a press conference.

In this vein, he recalled that the sovereign territory of Armenia  during 2021 and 2022 was subjected to military attack by Azerbaijan  three times. <Assessing the work of the mission for 2 months, we came  to the conclusion that it has a stabilizing role in a certain sense>,   said the parliamentarian.  Khandanyan stressed that a longer  deployment of the EU mission along the border could contribute to the  formation of a peaceful environment and create additional security  guarantees.  <I do not want to overestimate it, since this is a  civilian mission. But we see, I repeat, that it has a stabilizing  role>, he said.

The MP stressed that Armenia has no desire to become an arena for  geopolitical clashes. "All of our partners are aware of the nature of  our relationship with other partners, which we inform them through  various channels," he said.  The EUMA was formally established by a  Council Decision on 23 January 2023.  Through its deployment on the  Armenian side of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, it aims to contribute  to stability in the border areas of Armenia, build confidence and  human security in conflict affected areas, and ensure an environment  conducive to the normalisation efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan  supported by the EU.  The exclusively civilian staff of the EUMA will  number approximately 100 in total, including around 50 unarmed  observers.  The mission's operational headquarters will be in  Yeghegnadzor, in the Vayots Dzor province of Armenia. EEAS Managing  Director of the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC),  Stefano Tomat, will serve as the Civilian Operation Commander, while  Markus Ritter will serve as the Head of Mission.