The EU civilian monitoring mission which will be deployed soon to Armenia to monitor the border with Azerbaijan will include 15 German police officers, the German NTV reported citing German Government Spokesman Steffen Hebestreit.
The aim of the mission, which is initially mandated for two years, is to contribute to stability in the border areas of Armenia and thus create the conditions for normalizing relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. That is why the federal government is sending police officers to monitor the existing ceasefire with Azerbaijan. In addition, Germany has offered to send civilian experts to Armenia.
At Armenia’s request, EUMA will carry out routine patrols and report on the situation. The situation has worsened in recent weeks due to the obstruction of traffic on the Lachin corridor between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
“The Federal Government, together with its partners in the EU, is closely monitoring the situation and, together with the European Union, is trying to find a peaceful solution to the conflict,” the German Government said.
The German government has strongly supported the establishment of the mission. It played an active role in the planning process, as the mission shows that the EU has an effective and flexible security policy instrument in civilian CSDP that can make a substantial contribution to solving crises and conflicts in its neighborhood. With the federal police officer Dr. Markus Ritter, the Federal Republic of Germany also provides the head of the mission.
Last week French MEP and former French Minister for European Affairs Nathalie Loiseau told CivilNet that French gendarmes will be sent to Armenia as part of EU mission,
“I strongly support the new EU mission with a broader scope and scale,” she noted.
She expressed her satisfaction that France will include eight gendarmes in the mission.
“The mission will start on February 20, and I will be in Armenia on that day. I welcome Armenia’s support and cooperation with the mission. The mission will be our eyes and ears on the ground, and its presence should deter new attacks. I can only hope that Azerbaijan will cooperate with the mission in good faith,” Loiseau added.
According to her, the EU is present in Armenia to build confidence, stability and security and will therefore be open to contacts with all interested parties.
On February 20, 2023, EUMA will start its work as a civilian, non-executive and unarmed CSDP mission in Armenia. The decision was made on January 23, 2023 by the Council of the European Union based on an invitation from the Armenian government. The mission will include a total of 100 people, of whom a maximum of 15 will be German civil servants.
