EUMA personnel and their property to be granted special status close  to diplomatic one in Armenia

ArmInfo. Personnel of the civil observation mission of the European Union (EUMA) and their property in Armenia will be granted a special status close to diplomatic one. At a plenary session on March 19, the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia is discussing the draft agreement with the EU submitted by the Government of the Republic of Armenia for ratification.

According to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic  of Armenia Mnatsakan Safaryan, the document was signed on November  20, 2023. The purpose of the mission is to contribute to the  establishment of peace and security in the region. According to the  agreement, official property of observers - cars, equipment - are not  subject to customs inspection and standard registration procedures in  Armenia. Observers will enjoy legal immunity in relation to the  performance of their observer functions.  The buildings in which the  mission is located will enjoy the status of inviolability; searches  will not be allowed there. The mission's correspondence and archives  will also be inviolable.

Exceptions to legal immunity may be made if there are serious  suspicions of illegal activities and transportation of illegal goods  by members of the mission. Armenia takes full responsibility for  ensuring the safety of mission members, including free organization  of their evacuation if necessary. The Armenian authorities express  their readiness to provide government buildings and movable property  if they prove necessary to carry out the monitoring mission. If it  becomes necessary to use private property for this purpose, Armenia  undertakes to facilitate the conclusion of agreements between its  owners and the EU mission. 

The EU observer mission was officially deployed in Armenia on a  permanent basis by decision of the European Council from February 20,  2023. Before this, since October 2022, the mission was in Armenia on  a temporary basis. Currently, the number of European observers  carrying out a mission on the border of Armenia with Azerbaijan is  209 people (instead of the previous 138).

The opposition MPs claim that the draft agreement contains only  Armenia's obligations towards the EU, but there is no clarity  regarding the obligations undertaken by the European Union.