EUMA emerges as architect of game more dangerous than weapons

When reviewing the steps taken and the results achieved in the direction of the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the signing of a peace agreement in the last six months alone, only one question arises: what is the main force that hinders or delays the peace process?

On January 23, 2023, the EU Council approved the dispatch of a long-term civilian mission to Armenia. The mission aimed to promote stability on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border, build confidence on the ground, and provide an environment conducive to EU-supported efforts to normalize relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

However, the arrival of the mission group to the South Caucasus territory did not seem to be good-willed at all. Especially when talking about the border areas of Armenia with Azerbaijan, the arrival of the EU Mission should have been agreed with Azerbaijan. But they did not do what was necessary.

In the early days, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan reacted with a statement to the start of activities of EUMA out of the blue on the borders of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The ministry stated that such an engagement must not be exploited to derail the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, including in the context of the border delimitation process that should be carried out exclusively on a bilateral basis.

“It must be ensured that the deployment of the EU mission in Armenia duly takes into account the legitimate interests of Azerbaijan, and such an undertaking by the EU takes place in a manner that does not undermine mutual trust and confidence,” the ministry said in its statement.

In fact, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan was right in its statement, and the remark in its appeal was that the EU mission group was placed directly on the borders without Azerbaijan's consent. This arbitrary decision of the European Union had a direct impact on relations with Azerbaijan in the literal sense of the word. Because the EU's bilateral agreement with the occupying state and its operation in the region without the opinion of a third party undermined its credibility.

During the first period of activity of the EU Mission, Azerbaijan thought that Armenia would be emboldened by this and resort to provocations on the border - and this assumption was reflected in reality.

If we look at the situation on the border in the last few months, we can note that Armenia has caused many provocations and at best fired at the positions of the Azerbaijani army.

As for the result, it is clear once again that the EU Mission in Armenia plays an important role in encouraging Armenia in provocations rather than monitoring. The mission team, without weapons, seems to be the architect of a game that is actually more dangerous than weapons.

The European Union has begun to expand the Mission's mandate a bit further without any basic or necessary circumstances. Peter Stano, the Spokesperson for foreign affairs and security policy of the European Union, known for his biased claims, said this in his recent statement. At the same time, his statement did not escape the attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan. Peter Stano's unfounded opinions about the mandate of the EUMA and the militarization of Armenia were strongly criticized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in response to the question of Armenia's "Armenpress" news agency. In his statement, the EU official interpreted the views of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan incorrectly and with obvious bias.

Today, the state of Azerbaijan is concerned about the activities of the EUMA and has reasons for its concern. The mission supposedly promotes peace with its activities, but in reality, it supports the provocative activities of Armenia and, when appropriate, makes biased accusations against Azerbaijan with its non-objective approach. The head of the EU Mission has repeatedly voiced opinions that Azerbaijan is preparing for any attack, based on the false and slanderous claims of the Armenian side. While drawing conclusions from today's observations, it is once again clear that the Mission's main task is to undermine the normalization process by comprehensively supporting Armenia against Azerbaijan.

Standing by a state that has occupied Azerbaijani territories for 30 years, defending it in its provocative activities against Azerbaijan, and presenting itself as a neutral organization exposes the hypocritical activity of the EU under the guise of “peace”. Considering that the military support of the European Union and the West to Armenia has been steadily increasing in the last year, we should not be surprised that the European Union Mission in Armenia hinders peace that is needed in the South Caucasus.