EU monitors refute Azerbaijani claim of ceasefire violation on Armenia border

The European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) has reported that the southern Armenian–Azerbaijani border was ‘calm’ between 6–8 January, after Azerbaijan accused Armenia of violating the ceasefire.

In a statement on X on Wednesday, the EUMA said ‘no out of ordinary movements’ had been observed by their patrols in the southern Sunyik region earlier in the week.

The mission’s statement came after Azerbaijan’s Defence Ministry twice reported on Monday that Armenian forces stationed near the town of Goris had fired on its military positions on 5 and 6 January.

Armenia’s Defence Ministry refuted Azerbaijan’s accusations that day, stating that no incidents had taken place and accusing Azerbaijan of ‘spreading disinformation’.

The ministry again pointed to a proposal by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to establish a joint Armenian–Azerbaijani mechanism to investigate reports of ceasefire violations and related incidents.

On Wednesday, Pashinyan also spoke of the proposal, saying that Armenia was ‘waiting for Azerbaijan’s response’ and that the reports of ceasefire violations ‘do not correspond to reality’.

Also on Wednesday, Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan stated that Armenia would continue to need the EU Mission as long as Azerbaijan continued to accuse Armenia of violating the ceasefire.

‘We believe that as long as Armenia doesn’t have delimitated borders with Azerbaijan, and as long as there are false accusations [by Azerbaijan] on shootings by the Armed Forces of Armenia or breaching the peace, we will continue to have the need for the EU civilian mission’, he said.

A day earlier, in an interview with local TV channels, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev again criticised the mission calling it ‘binocular theatrics’.

Aliyev threatens to destroy ‘Armenian fascism’

In a lengthy interview with Azerbaijani media, Aliyev criticised Armenia’s armament and its ‘obstruction’ of the ‘Zangezur corridor’.

OC MediaAytan Farhadova

‘I don’t want to show them how quickly they might run if someone even accidentally sneezes on Azerbaijani territory, but we’re tempted. This is why we told them to stop these binocular theatrics, and it seems they have’, he said.

Azerbaijan began to push for the withdrawal of the EU mission in September 2024. The mission was deployed to the Armenian side of the border in January 2023, following Azerbaijani incursions into Armenia.

The mission’s presence is reportedly one of the sticking points in the peace talks, with Azerbaijan demanding its withdrawal, and Armenia offering to withdraw the mission from sections of the border with Azerbaijan that have been delimited.