The 27 European Union member states have approved €20 million (approximately $23.3 million) in assistance for Armenia from the European Peace Facility, following Hungary’s decision to lift its earlier veto, European media reported on Wednesday (28 January).
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó had stated that Hungary would approve assistance for Armenia if a comparable amount was also granted to Azerbaijan.
Following diplomatic engagements, Hungary revised its position.
The funding is the second allocation for Armenia from the European Peace Facility. The fund, established in 2021, aims to prevent conflicts worldwide and provide non-lethal military equipment to countries in need.
The first tranche, provided in July 2024, amounted to €10 million and supported the establishment of a field modular camp, including a medical facility.
The current allocation, which will be disbursed over the next 35 months, is intended to strengthen Armenia’s Armed Forces and defence capabilities through medical equipment and technical training.
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said the EU and Armenia should reassess the future role of the EU Monitoring Mission in Armenia (EUMA) in light of progress in the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process.
Speaking at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Mirzoyan noted that the mission had contributed to regional stability but suggested a review to determine how it could support regional development.
“We now have peace, and we should consider how this mission can further contribute to the development of the region,” Mirzoyan said, referring to the normalization of relations with Azerbaijan.
EUMA head Markus Ritter previously indicated that the mission would conclude operations in border areas once a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia is signed.
The mission, which began on 20 February 2023, had its mandate extended by the EU Council in January 2025 to remain active until 19 February 2027.
The latest funding and statements reflect ongoing EU engagement in Armenia, including security, defence and post-conflict regional stability efforts.
As the EU deepens its engagement with Armenia, the latest assistance package has prompted questions about the motivations shaping Brussels’ approach.
Speaking to AnewZ, Nargiz Mammadova, expert in international relations at the STEM Center, says the size and nature of the allocation require closer examination, particularly at a time when Armenia and Azerbaijan are progressing through a defined peace process.
Mammadova notes that the EU–Armenia cooperation agreement itself contained what she describes as “paradoxical elements”, including statements that, in her view, contradicted the peace agenda established after the Washington summit.
She says it remains unclear which European parliamentarians championed the agreement, what considerations guided its adoption, and why military-oriented assistance is being placed at the forefront of major financial allocations.
“If the conflict is over, it is not logical for the EU to allocate such a large budget to Armenia,” she says, pointing to the absence of a military dimension in the current peace agenda. She argues that the decision raises concerns about coherence and intent.
Mammadova characterises the EU’s approach as displaying “double standards”. She highlights that senior European officials have voiced support for the peace agenda and the outcomes of the Washington process, yet the scale of assistance to Armenia appears, in her view, “irrational” and warrants deeper scrutiny as a potential risk to stability in the South Caucasus.
The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be lengthened by three weeks, U.S. President Donald Trump said in a post on social media website...
Slovenia’s national broadcaster RTV Slovenia has confirmed it will not air the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, joining a widening boycott over ...
The European Union has introduced new trade restrictions on Kyrgyzstan under its 20th sanctions package against Russia, marking the first time a Ce...
The prospect of a lasting peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia has gained renewed significance as Armenia approaches a pre-election period marked b...
Iran’s leadership has presented a united front, rejecting claims of internal divisions amid continued tensions with the U.S. and Israel follo...
The European Union has introduced new trade restrictions on Kyrgyzstan under its 20th sanctions package against Russia, marking the first time a Central Asian country has faced measures targeting an entire trade channel.
European Union leaders were set to discuss the bloc’s mutual assistance clause at a summit in southern Cyprus on Thursday, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticism of traditional allies raises concerns over his commitment to NATO.
A senior European Parliament figure has criticised remarks by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen suggesting Turkish influence could threaten Europe.
The European Union is considering deeper cooperation with Azerbaijan, including expanded ties in energy, trade and potential support for demining efforts in Garabagh, its foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said.
The U.S. military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters and is redirecting them away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday, exclusively to Reuters.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards targeted three vessels, seizing two of them for alleged maritime violations and transferring them to Iranian shores, as U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington is extending its ceasefire with Iran until Tehran submits a proposal.
Two local trains collided head-on north of Copenhagen on Thursday (23 April), injuring 17 people, five of them critically, according to emergency services.
The U.S. military is redirecting at least three Iranian-flagged tankers after intercepting them in Asian waters near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Tehran said U.S. breaches, blockades and threats are undermining “genuine negotiations.”
The European Union is preparing its 20th round of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine. The measures are close to being approved, after earlier delays linked to energy concerns in Slovakia and Hungary eased following repairs to the Druzhba oil pipeline.
The European Union has introduced new trade restrictions on Kyrgyzstan under its 20th sanctions package against Russia, marking the first time a Central Asian country has faced measures targeting an entire trade channel.
The prospect of a lasting peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia has gained renewed significance as Armenia approaches a pre-election period marked by relative stability.
In a parliamentary vote on Wednesday (22 April), Turkish lawmakers approved legislation designed to protect minors from harmful online content. Passed after lengthy deliberations, the measure includes an outright ban on social media use by children under 15.
Armenia’s Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan says progress in talks with Azerbaijan is helping the country manage economic and security pressures as regional conflicts and alliances shift.
Residents in central Gaza are preparing to vote in municipal elections this weekend, marking the first ballot in the Strip since 2006. The vote in Deir al-Balah is being watched closely as a rare indication of public sentiment, including towards Hamas.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment