The Armenian Parliament approved a measure on Wednesday granting diplomatic immunity to the members of the European Monitoring Mission in Armenia — a privilege not provided to Russian border guards or troops in Armenia.
The legislation adopted Wednesday not only gives the EU monitors immunity from prosecution but also guarantees their freedom of movement inside the country, exempts them and their equipment from Armenian customs checks, and bans law-enforcement authorities from searching their offices and vehicles. In addition, it commits Yerevan to guaranteeing their personal security and ensuring, if necessary, their free evacuation from the country.
Speaking to lawmakers of Tuesday, Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safarian emphasized the need for such legislation, saying the the mission was critical for peace and stability in the region.
“It can be noted that the civilian mission has assisted in the reduction of incidents. The relevant institutions of the EU, as well as the member countries, are informed the most about the situation. At the same time, the presence of monitors creates a more positive psychological atmosphere for the population,” Safaryan emphasized.
He said the uninterrupted activities of the mission are important not only for ensuring stability in the eastern borders of Armenia, but also from the point of view of speeding up the processes of rapprochement of political relations between Armenia and the EU.
“Armenia attaches great importance to both this and other initiatives aimed at deepening the country’s cooperation with the EU in the security sector,” Mnatsakanyan added.
Moscow and Baku have been vocal opponents of the mission, with Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Wednesday accusing the mission of spying on Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran. She said such practices could have “dire consequences” for the region.
The Kremlin also voiced its doubts about the effectiveness of the EU mission in Armenia and said that Azerbaijan did not consent to such an initiative.
“Perhaps, it is worth questioning the potential effectiveness of such a mission… The question is, what the objective of monitoring is and whether this mission is recognized by the Azerbaijani side. If we understand correctly, the Azerbaijani side has a very negative attitude toward the functions of that mission, and I doubt that such a mandate will be fulfilled there with understanding,” the Kremlin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters on Wednesday.
Peskov said that Armenia “unilaterally” decided to invite and accept the EU mission on its territory.
