On March 20, 2024, Armenia’s National Assembly ratified an agreement on the status of the EU civilian monitoring mission in Armenia with a vote of 57 for, 27 abstained.
The EU Mission in Armenia (EUMA) was initially deployed to the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in October 2022 on a temporary basis following Azerbaijan’s invasion into Armenia in September of the same year. Subsequently, on February 20, 2023, the Council of Europe officially established and stationed the EU monitoring mission in Armenia for the long term.
The agreement will increase the number of EU monitors at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border from 138 to 209. It also grants observer status and immunity to EU personnel providing legal protections within Armenia. Their assets, such as vehicles and equipment, are exempt from customs inspections and standard registration procedures. The buildings in which the mission is located will have the status of immunity and will not be subject to search. Correspondence and archives remain confidential, accessible only under specified conditions.
Opposition deputies abstained from the vote, expressing their concern about the absence of restrictions on the observers that the EU may deploy. This includes the potential involvement of non-EU countries in monitoring Armenia, granting the EU complete discretion in choosing participants. In a pre-vote interview, “Armenia” Alliance parliamentarian Gegham Manukyan emphasized this point, noting that Turkey could be included as an observer nation, raising concerns about security and bias.
