Armenia could discuss new mandate for EUMA after signing of Azerbaijan peace deal, says official

Armenia could discuss a possible new mandate for the EU monitoring mission in Armenia if the peace treaty with Azerbaijan is signed and ratified, a senior official said on Monday.

Asked about the possible withdrawal of the EU observers (EUMA), Hovhannisyan told reporters, “The treaty isn't moving too quickly. The mandate is for two years. Of course, if we have progress in the future, sign and ratify it, and have actual signs of peace, we could discuss a new mandate for the EU observers. We don’t have to limit it only to the border. The mandate also includes trust building.”

He said they will find the right model to continue cooperation with EUMA even in the most positive scenario. 

Asked whether there is confidence that Baku wouldn’t demand the complete withdrawal of EUMA from Armenia, Hovhannisyan said, “If we are talking about third party forces, are the European observers a force? This is a monitoring mission, i.e., logically there shouldn’t be such demands, but of course it is difficult to say about trust.”

He said the term third-party forces pertains to military presence. “As to what extent the observers are considered to be a force is a topic for discussion,” he said. 

One of the terms of the would-be peace treaty pertains to ruling out the presence of third-party forces along the border.

The governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan announced on March 13 that the negotiations around the peace treaty have been successfully concluded. The Armenian government has expressed readiness to start discussions with Azerbaijan around the date and venue of signing the agreement.