EU decides to deploy up to 40 monitoring experts along Armenia-Azerbaijan border

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 17, ARMENPRESS. The Council of the European Union today decided to deployup to 40 EU monitoring expertsalong the Armenian side of the international border with Azerbaijan with the objective of monitoring, analyzing and reporting on the situation in the region, the Council said in a press release.

This decision follows the quadrilateral meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, President of France Emmanuel Macron, President of the European Council Charles Michel and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on 6 October.

The Council said the decision is aimed at facilitating therestoration of peace and securityin the area, thebuilding of confidenceand thedelimitation of the international borderbetween the two states.

“The EU’s deployment of up to 40 EU monitoring experts along Armenia’s international border with Azerbaijan will aim to build confidence to the unstable a situation that is putting lives at risk and jeopardizes the conflict resolution process. This is another proof of the EU’s full commitment to contributing to the ultimate goal of achieving sustainable peace in the South Caucasus”, Josep Borrell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said.

"In order to ensure a swift deployment of the EU monitoring capacity, it was decided that themonitoring experts will be temporarily deployed fromthe European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM Georgia). The EUMM is taking operational steps so that its monitoring capacity in Georgia is not impacted.

The monitoring mission will have atemporary natureand in principle will not last more than two months", the Council said.