At the National Assembly’s extraordinary session on November 28, the draft law 'On Ratifying the Agreement between the Republic of Armenia and the European Union on Establishing the Framework for the Participation of the Republic of Armenia in the European Union Crisis Management Operations' is being discussed.
Armenia faction secretary Artsvik Minasyan addressed a question to Arman Yeghoyan, Chair of the NA Standing Committee on European Integration, asking whether the European Union is currently carrying out a military mission in Ukraine, to which Yeghoyan gave an affirmative answer.
Minasyan also inquired whether this agreement could later serve as a legal basis for proposing such a mission for Armenia.
According to Yeghoyan, every state independently decides to which country it will send its mission within the mandate under which that mission operates.
“Mr. Minasyan, I am curious why you are asking about Ukraine—why not ask about Somalia, where the situation is not calm either, or, for example, Bosnia? What are you trying to imply—that this was signed so that Armenia would go there and participate? No, it was not signed for that. It was signed so that Armenia would have the opportunity to participate in European Union missions, and then the Government will decide according to the situation,” Yeghoyan noted.
He added that the agreement establishes not an obligation for Armenia to participate in missions, but a right.
“Even EU member states do not have an obligation to participate in missions. For example, the representatives currently in Armenia who have come as part of the EU Monitoring Mission have come voluntarily. The EU cannot impose quotas or force anyone. As for Ukraine, I should note that they have two missions there—one civilian and one military. The military one is mainly a military advisory mission,” Yeghoyan emphasized.
