The European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) located on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan conducted its 5,000th patrol.
The website of the European Union External Relations Service states that the first patrol was conducted on February 20, 2023.
“Beyond its monitoring activities, EUMA engages actively with local communities. Patrol teams regularly meet with residents and municipal representatives to listen, learn, and report on the human security situation. EUMA monitors visit schools in border areas, where they introduce the mission, it’s activities and EU values guiding them. This approach has helped EUMA to build trust and awareness on the mission and the European Union,” the European Union External Relations Service said.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who visited Armenia last week, met with the head of EUMA, German national Markus Ritter.
EUMA head office is located in Yeghegnadzor, the mission also has 6 stations in Jermuk, Yeghegnadzor, Martuni, Kapan, Goris and Ijevan.
On January 30 this year, the EU decided to extend EUMA’s mandate for two years, until February 19, 2027.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the EU mission and made accusations against former and current EU leaders.
Meanwhile, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in 2024 that he was ready to consider withdrawing EU observers from the demarcated sections of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
An EUMA mission of 100 observers was deployed to Armenia in February 2023. In December 2023, EU foreign ministers decided to expand the mission to 209 observers. Later, a Canadian representative joined the mission, in response to which Moscow and Baku representatives claimed that EUMA was “turning into a NATO mission.”
