The European Union and Russia continued their sparring, this time about the EU civilian mission being sent to the Armenian border. The Russian foreign ministry blasted the EU on Thursday, saying it efforts to push back Russia from its role as regional mediator would bring more stability to the region.
In response to the Russian foreign ministry, the EU’s foreign affairs spokesperson Peter Stano on Friday told the Ria Novosti news agency that normalization of ties between Armenia and Azerbaijan should not become hostage to relations between the EU and Russia.
“Russia obviously has misunderstood the purpose of this mission and continues to misinterpret the EU’s engagement in our common neighborhood as directed against Russia,” Stano said.
“More importantly, it is none of Russia’s business. The EU mission was launched based on a request from and a free decision by the Armenian authorities. The EU has of course also been in touch with Azerbaijan authorities on the matter,” Stano said, adding that the mission’s objective is to ensure normalization of Baku-Yerevan relations.
“EUMA [the EU mission to Armenia] is a civilian mission and will serve as a key element in support of Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization efforts led by the EU… As for the mission as such – it aims in particular to contribute to human security on the ground and build confidence,” Stano added.
The Russian foreign ministry on Friday doubled down on its criticism of the EU, saying that if Brussels were truly interested in peace in the Caucasus it would have reached an agreement with Azerbaijan on the mission’s specifics.
Official Baku has also voiced its discontent with the EU mission to Armenia, while Yerevan has welcomed the stationing of monitors on the Armenia border for the next two years.
Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Friday reiterated Moscow’s view during a news briefing saying that the mission seeks to create confrontation within the CIS and called the EU “an appendage of the US and NATO.”
“The appearance of representatives of the EU in the border regions of Armenia, which has turned into an appendage of the US and NATO, and pursues a confrontational policy in the CIS space, can only bring geopolitical confrontation and exacerbate existing contradictions in the region.
“In fact, let us call things by their proper names, the name EU is a cover for the apparent real aspirations of NATO in various world affairs,” Zakharova said, adding that it is evident for Moscow that NATO is posing its agenda in the region.
She added that politics and diplomacy have given way to the negative impact of military efforts from the Euro-Atlantic nations.
Zakharova also reiterated Moscow’s earlier criticism of Yerevan for abandoning the process the she claimed started within the Collective Security Treaty Organization, Russia’s answer to NATO. She added that the CSTO was still interested in sending a monitoring mission to Armenia, but is awaiting a response from Yerevan.
Armenia’s Ambassador to Russia, Vagharshak Harutyunyan told the Tass news agency on Friday that Yerevan had not rejected the deployment of a CSTO mission to Armenia.
“As for the CSTO observers, no one has refused [the deployment of] CSTO observers,” said Harutyunyan, adding that a document, which was to be signed during a recent summit of the group in Yerevan has not been signed because Yerevan asked for amendment.
“This document is in the process of being revised,” Harutyunyan claimed.
