“We Do Not Spy, Nor Do We Harm Anyone” – Head of the EU Monitoring Mission

YEREVAN — The European Union Monitoring Mission in Armenia marks its two-year anniversary, along with the extension of its mandate for another two years.

Mission Head Markus Ritter stated that over the past two years, more than 4,500 patrols have been conducted. He also noted that, thanks to this cooperation, there have been fewer incidents along Armenia’s borders compared to two years ago. According to him, the situation at the border remains calm, but both Armenia and Azerbaijan are engaged in fortification activities.

“I cannot say what the parties are preparing for, but both sides are carrying out fortification work on their positions. If you have questions about the purpose, you should address them to the military authorities of Armenia and Azerbaijan,” he emphasized.

A total of 100 EU observers arrived in Armenia on February 20, 2023. On January 29, EU ambassadors in Brussels approved the decision to extend the EU’s civilian mission in Armenia. As a result, European observers will remain in Armenia’s border regions for another two years, until February 19, 2027.

Regarding accusations from Azerbaijan that the EU monitoring mission is engaging in “espionage” and that its activities do not contribute to peace, Markus Ritter stressed that their operations are fully transparent and do not involve any form of espionage.

“Of course, Brussels is aware that Azerbaijan is not entirely happy with our presence. All I can say is that we monitor the situation at the border. We do not spy; we observe what both sides are doing, we assess the situation, and we report to Brussels. We do not spy, nor do we harm anyone,” he stated.