Armenia seeks continued EUMA presence

Armenia wants the EU monitoring mission to continue its presence in the country, a senior official said on Friday.

Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan told reporters that EUMA has had a positive impact on the establishment of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Grigoryan said that Armenia has consistently emphasized—both publicly and in private discussions with European Union partners—that it highly values cooperation with Brussels and also regards the activities of the EU Monitoring Mission in Armenia very positively.

“We are convinced that the Mission has had a positive impact in terms of promoting stability, and it has also contributed to ensuring both regional stability and confidence in stability and security among populations in border communities,” emphasized the Secretary of the Security Council.

Grigoryan also lauded U.S. President Donald Trump’s role in the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process.

In response to a question about whether there is a vision for the Mission’s future work, Armen Grigoryan stated that, in any case, Armenia wishes for the EU Monitoring Mission to continue its activities in the country.

“One thing is clear: we want the EU civilian mission to continue its presence in Armenia. You know that within the framework of the [initialed] peace treaty we have reached agreements; however, it still needs to be signed and ratified in order to enter into force, and then we will understand how to move forward in that regard. But it is unequivocal that we want the Mission to remain in Armenia, and we will continue working in that direction,” the Secretary of the Security Council emphasized.

He also added that the formats of future cooperation with the EU are currently under discussion.

“We will discuss and determine within what framework we can cooperate. We will understand how we can proceed, but this also depends on the ratification of the peace treaty,” Grigoryan noted.

EUMA, a civilian mission, was launched in 2023 for a two-year term at the request of Armenia following Azeri incursions. The civilian mission observes and reports on the security situation along the Armenian side of the international border with Azerbaijan. In January 2025, the EU extended the mandate of the EUMA for another two years. It’s stated mission is to “contribute to human security in conflict-affected areas in Armenia and contribute to build confidence between Armenia and Azerbaijan.” However, article 7 of the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty, which was initialed on August 8, 2025 and has yet to be formally signed and ratified by both countries, stipulates that Armenia and Azerbaijan “shall not deploy along their mutual border forces of any third party.”

In November 2025, Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan announced that the format of the EU Monitoring Mission in Armenia (EUMA) is expected to change after the peace treaty with Azerbaijan is signed and ratified.