EU to deploy “transitional planning assistance team” in Armenia

PanARMENIAN.Net - The European Union is starting a new phase in the its engagement in the South Caucasus, according to Josep Borrell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, amid a decision to deploy a “transitional planning assistance team in Armenia to enhance the EU’s awareness of the security situation.”

Based on the agreement between the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, European Council and France, the EUMCAP was deployed on 20 October along the Armenian side of the international border with Azerbaijan with the objective of monitoring, analysing and reporting on the situation on the ground.

“The deployment of 40 European monitoring experts has proved to be effective and contributed to building confidence in an unstable situation. Today we start a new phase in the EU’s engagement in the South Caucasus, with a transitional team that will prepare the ground for a possible longer term EU mission in Armenia, with the ultimate goal of contributing to sustainable peace in the region,” Borrell said in a statement.

Against this background, the Council – in agreement with Armenia’s authorities - decided that the existing EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM Georgia) will deploy a transitional planning assistance team in Armenia to enhance the EU’s awareness of the security situation, and contribute to the planning and preparation of a possible civilian CSDP mission in the country. The transitional planning assistance team is also expected to support the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, in the EU-facilitated normalisation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

On the occasion of the meeting of the European Political Community held in Prague on 6 October 2022, the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan confirmed their commitment to the UN Charter and to the CIS Declaration agreed in Alma-Ata on 21 December 1991, in which both states recognise each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. They confirmed it would be a basis for the work of their respective border delimitation commissions, whose last meeting took place in Brussels on 3 November 2022.

On 17 October 2022, the Council adopted a decision for the deployment in Armenia of EU observers from EUMM Georgia until 19 December 2022.