The European Union (EU) civilian monitoring mission in Armenia has helped stabilize the situation on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. Nils Usakovs, Co-Chair of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Partnership Committee, stated this at the 4th Meeting of this Committee taking place today in Yerevan 

Azerbaijan and Russia are targeting this mission and making accusations. But the question arises: what threat can this unarmed civilian mission pose to them? They are attempting to view this as a threat or an obstacle to the peace agreement. Baku rejects this cooperation and wants to terminate the EU mission in Armenia. But Armenia has submitted a proposal to have mutual arms control mechanisms, and this is an example that Armenia itself has taken on the peace agenda. And Azerbaijan's reaction to all this is very difficult to understand and interpret, added Ushakovs.

He stated that the EU is also interested in the Crossroads of Peace project launched by Armenia. It is very important for the opening of regional ties and communications, it will be very important for the entire region, and it is very important for Armenia so that it can have a free choice towards a European future, which also implies having economic diversification. This is another reason to focus on the freedom of opening transport and communication ties, said Ushakovs, adding that they call on Turkey to separate border issues with Armenia from the agenda of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations.