The European Union will send a 100-member mission to Armenia next week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Saturday.
The European Union does not leave attempts to get close to the South Caucasus, acting as a peacemaker in the settlement of post-war Baku-Yerevan relations - next week the EU will send a 100-member mission to Armenia, according to Ursula von der Leyen.
Yesterday, after talks with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan she wrote in her social media account that the EU is a committed partner of Armenia, adding that next week, the EU will send a 100-strong mission contributing to peace and stability.
The European Commission chief did not hesitate to remind that Europe welcomes progress made on democratic reforms and intends to develop further its economic investment plan in the South Caucasus.
Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry commented on the launch of a new EU mediation mission in Armenia, emphasizing that the appearance of EU representatives in the border regions of Armenia would only exacerbate existing contradictions in the region, and EU attempts to squeeze Russia's mediation efforts could damage the fundamental interests of Armenians and Azerbaijanis in their aspirations for a return to peaceful development in the region.
The Russian border guards serving on the Armenian borders, the Russian Foreign Ministry added that Russian peacekeepers and Russian border guards deployed on Armenia's borders based on the statement of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia dated November 9, 2020, will remain the key factor for regional stability for the foreseeable future.
On January 23, the EU Foreign Ministers approved the creation of a civilian mission in Armenia to promote stability in the border areas, build confidence on the ground and normalize relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The mission will have an initial mandate of two years and its operational headquarters will be in Armenia.
Earlier, Vestnik Kavkaza reported that President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the European Council Charles Michel held talks yesterday on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference to discuss the post-war settlement between Baku and Yerevan and the EU mission in Armenia.
