EU denies Azerbaijan’s accusations against monitoring mission in Armenia

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 21, ARMENPRESS. The EU Mission in Armenia (EUMA) is implementing its mandate and accusations of carrying out any other activities are baseless, EU Ambassador to Armenia Vassilis Maragos said when asked to comment on the Azerbaijani foreign ministry’s statement on EUMA.

“Our mission has a very clearly defined mandate. It is deployed on the Armenian side of the international border with Azerbaijan, and is exclusively engaged in what is outlined in its mandate, to ensure its presence, to carry out patrols, with the goal of helping to ensure peace in the region. This is what we’ve always been doing. Any other accusation or slander on engaging in any other activities are absolutely baseless,” he said when asked by Armenpress to comment.

Maragos added that all EU member states support the mission. “We are resolutely aiming for strengthening peace and stability in the region,” the EU ambassador said.

On 12 February 2024 the Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Azerbaijan, Peter Michalko, was summoned to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Azerbaijani foreign ministry accused EUMA of being exploited as an “anti-Azerbaijani propaganda tool,” and becoming an agent of "binoculars diplomacy.”