No structural or operational changes are expected in the work of the European Union’s civilian monitoring mission in Armenia until a formal peace agreement is signed with Azerbaijan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in Yerevan.
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“We do not anticipate any substantive changes in the activities of the [EU] monitoring group at least until the signing of a peace treaty and the establishment of intergovernmental relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” Pashinyan stated.
Stay Ahead with Azerbaijan.usGet exclusive translations, top stories, and analysis — straight to your inbox.“After the agreement is signed and ratified, certain adjustments in the mission’s format will naturally follow. We have already held partnership discussions on this matter with the EU.”
The EU mission – comprising over 200 observers and civilian experts from 25 EU member states and Canada – began operations in February 2023, patrolling the Armenian side of the border with Azerbaijan. On January 30, 2025, the EU Council extended its mandate for another two years with a budget of €44 million.
Moscow, however, has repeatedly criticized the mission, alleging that it operates under the guise of monitoring while collecting intelligence aimed against Russia, Azerbaijan, and Iran.
Russian Ambassador to Yerevan Sergey Kopyrkin earlier noted that Armenia could have avoided many current risks had it accepted a 2022 proposal from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) to deploy stabilization measures along the border.
Analysts say Pashinyan’s latest statement confirms that Yerevan remains committed to maintaining EU oversight until a peace treaty with Baku is finalized – signaling both Armenia’s deepening reliance on Western partners and its continued distance from Moscow’s regional security initiatives.
