The EU on Tuesday announced that it has decided to establish a civilian partnership mission in Armenia.
A press release by the 27-member bloc said that the EU Partnership Mission in Armenia has been established under its Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP).
Defining the move as a “further contribution in the efforts to enhance Armenia’s democratic resilience and its ability to manage crises,” the statement said that the mission will have an initial mandate of two years.
It further said that the mission’s operational headquarters will be in the South Caucasus nation, noting that Stefano Tomat, EEAS (European External Action Service) managing director of the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC), will serve as the civilian operation commander.
“The mission will support Armenia facing multi-layered threats such as foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), cyberattacks and illicit financial flows,” the statement said.
It went on to state that the mission will provide “strategic advice and capacity building” to various ministries and national institutions in Armenia on the development of “policies to address threats,” among other tasks.
“Armenians are facing massive disinformation campaigns and cyberattacks. Over the next years, a new EU civilian mission will provide expert advice, capacity building for government departments and a team monitoring areas for urgent action.
“When Armenians go to the polls in June, they alone should choose their country’s future. The EU helps to protect Armenia’s resilience,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas was quoted as saying in the press release.
Separately, the Armenian Foreign Ministry welcomed the EU’s move, saying the mission’s deployment is a joint initiative stemming from the agenda of their bilateral partnership, ahead of the inaugural Armenia-EU Summit scheduled to be held in Yerevan on May 5.
