EU to increase EUMA staff 

ArmInfo."We started the day with informal exchanges with Foreign Minister of Armenia, Mr  [Ararat] Mirzoyan," Josep Borrel, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, stated at following the Eastern Partnership Foreign Affairs Ministerial meeting. 

You know that we are currently working on strengthening our relations  with Armenia. 

I see that Armenia clearly sees the benefits of increasing  cooperation with us, and we are ready to respond positively.   

As a first step of this increasing cooperation, today the Foreign  Affairs Council agreed to strengthen our civilian [CSDP] mission in  Armenia (EUMA), increasing our presence on the ground from 138 staff  to 209.  This is an important increase of the size of the mission,  and this is a way of increasing the stability of Armenia's  international border with Azerbaijan.  

We believe that there is a historic chance to achieve peace in the  region. It is an opportunity. We are committed to continue our  support to these efforts - by working together with both Armenia and  Azerbaijan. The fact that we have decided to increase by such an  important number our staff on this mission shows our clear commitment  to the stability in the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan and  [is] an important contribution to the peace efforts.

"Good exchange of views with Ararat Mirzoyan and EU Foreign Ministers  on concrete ways to enhance EU-Armenia relations plus further  strengthen Armenia's democratic path

"We also reiterated full EU support to the peace process and  commitment to further facilitate the normalisation process," Borrel  wrote on his X account.