Sargis Khandanyan, a Member of Parliament from Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract Faction and Chair of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Foreign Relations, stated that the presence of the EU monitoring mission in Armenia is a matter to be decided between Armenia and the European Union. He commented on this to reporters at the National Assembly on Wednesday, in response to Azerbaijan’s calls to withdraw the EU mission from Armenia.

“The EU monitors are stationed on the territory of Armenia and monitor the Armenian side of the border [with Azerbaijan]. So, the Armenian side must decide when, for how long, and with what staff the EU monitors should be present. When the peace treaty is signed, the border delimitation process is completed [with Azerbaijan], and there is regional peace, it may be logical that there is no need for monitoring [anymore]. But at the moment, such a question is naturally not discussed,” Khandanyan added. 

Armenian MP Sargis Khandanyan mentioned that the platform or auspices under which the peace treaty could be signed remain open. He noted that the treaty could be signed bilaterally or in a third-party country, and no option is off the table.

In response to suggestions that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s recent press conference indicated a softening in Armenia’s stance towards Russia, Khandanyan emphasized that Armenia’s relationship with Russia remains transparent, multidisciplinary, and multifaceted. He acknowledged ongoing issues in Armenian-Russian relations, particularly concerning Russia’s unfulfilled security and defense commitments to Armenia, including within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. However, the Armenian MP downplayed the notion that there has been a significant shift in rhetoric, noting that Armenia has consistently expressed strong positions on certain issues while maintaining partnership relations with others.