Armenia to create defense attaché positions for EU and Belgium

The Armenian Cabinet has approved the creation of defense attaché positions for the European Union and Belgium.

The current defense attaché to NATO, based in Brussels, will simultaneously assume these roles.

According to the Defence Ministry, the appointment is necessary due to recent significant developments in defence, security, and military cooperation between Armenia and the EU.

The decision was initiated following to EU announcement that an additional 10 million euros ($10.5 million) will be allocated in “non-lethal” military aid to Armenia through its European Peace Facility (EPF), a special fund aimed at strengthening the defence capacities of EU partners.

According to RFE/RL sources in Brussels, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas has submitted this proposal to the bloc’s decision-making Council. The proposal is expected to be discussed in the coming weeks, though no specific date has been set. Approval requires unanimous support from all 27 EU member states.

Armenia received its first-ever EU military aid, also worth €10 million, last July. The funds were designated for a two-and-a-half-year project to establish a field hospital and auxiliary facilities for a battalion-sized Armenian army unit.

Hungary initially blocked the allocation for months, insisting on similar aid for Azerbaijan, with which it maintains close ties. Budapest reportedly lifted its veto in exchange for an EU pledge to finance demining efforts in Azerbaijan from another source.

It remains uncertain whether Hungary or any other member state will raise objections this time.

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