EUMA mandate extension is sign that Armenian people trust and need us – Markus Ritter

On February 28, in Yeghegnadzor, the European Union Monitoring Mission in Armenia (EUMA) the two years of its operations in the country.

The mission’s mandate in Armenia has been extended until February 19, 2027.
The extension of our mandate a few weeks ago is a clear sign that the Armenian people trust us and need our presence here, and it also means that the EU cares about its neighbors, their safety and security, EUMA head Markus Ritter said in his remarks.

“We have witnessed that the biggest concern of the majority of people living near the borders is security. The EUMA patrols go to the most remote areas of Armenia, where other international organizations cannot go. Today, there are far fewer incidents on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border than two years ago, and I am proud that we, along with other security and diplomatic efforts, have been one of the actors whose presence has made the people’s lives safer,” Ritter said.

He noted that over the past two years, more than 4,600 EUMA patrols have been conducted along the 1,000-kilometer Armenian-Azerbaijani border, and more than 300 official visits have been made.
“This is a good result for a relatively small new mission,” he added.