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BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. The recent intensification of provocations perpetrated by Armenia has coincided with the period of the EU mission in this country, which is a matter of concern, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov said during the meeting with EU Special Envoy for Eastern Partnership Dirk Schubel, Trend reports.
Bayramov noted that the abuse of this mission as a pretext for damaging the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia is unacceptable.
The minister also informed in detail about the current situation in the region in the post-conflict period [following the 2020 second Karabakh war], the activities of Azerbaijan in the field of reconstruction and construction, the ongoing work to open communications in the region and normalizing relations with Armenia, and efforts aimed at promoting the peace agenda.
In this context, he noted that Armenia's evasion of its obligations, its constant military-political provocations, and the continuing threat of mines are detrimental to the peace-building process.
The EU launched its civilian mission in Armenia (EU Mission in Armenia / EUMA) under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) on February 20, 2023.
According to the European Commission, the exclusively civilian staff of the EUMA will include 100 members, with around 50 unarmed observers.
EEAS Managing Director of the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC) Stefano Tomat will serve as the Civilian Operation Commander, while Markus Ritter will serve as the Head of Mission.
Meanwhile, the mission's initial mandate will last for two years.