No monitoring of delimited border sections needed - Nikol Pashinyan 

ArmInfo.In response to Baku's proposal to withdraw the EU observation mission from the  Armenian-Azerbaijani border, Yerevan made a counter-proposal - to  withdraw observers only from the delimited sections. This was stated  by RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in an interview with the Public  Television of Armenia. 

"There is objectively no need for observers there," he emphasized.  Recalling that the last meeting of the border delimitation  commissions took place in October, the prime minister said that the  parties made mutual proposals to determine further sections for the  border delimitation process. In this vein, Pashinyan emphasized that  this section will be determined at the next meeting of the  commissions. He suggested that the processes on this issue will  continue only after the Azerbaijani side sums up the results of the  UN Climate Change Conference (COP 29), which was held in Baku.

As a reminder, on 23 January 2023, the EU Council agreed to establish  a new EU civilian mission to Armenia (EUMA) within the framework of  the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). The stated objective  of the Mission is to contribute to stability in the border areas of  Armenia, build confidence on the ground and provide an environment  conducive to EU-supported efforts to normalise relations between  Armenia and Azerbaijan. 

The EU civilian mission to Armenia includeD up to 100 specialists.  Over ?8 million has been allocated for the first four months of the  Mission. EUMA has an initial mandate of two years, with its  operational headquarters in Yeghegnadzor. The civilian operation  commander is Stefano Tomat, Managing Director of the Civilian  Planning and Conduct Unit (CPCC) of the EEAS.

The mission began operating on 20 February 2023. It included, among  others, 8 French gendarmes and 15 police officers from Germany. In  addition, on 11 December 2023, following the meeting of the EU  Ministerial Council, the High Representative of the European Union  for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell announced the  intention to increase the number of the mission to 209 people. 

On 12 October in Yerevan at the forum "Crossroads of Peace:  Connecting Security and Democracy", Acting Head of the EU Monitoring  Mission (EUMA) Marek Kuberski announced that there is an intention to  extend the EU observer mission in Armenia. He stressed that if such a  decision is made, the EU mission will remain in Armenia for another 2  years.