EU To Deploy 40 Monitors At Azerbaijan-Armenia Border

The European Council on Monday decided to deploy up to 40 monitoring experts along the Armenian side of the international border with Azerbaijan.

This is to observe the situation after dozens of border incidents led to conflict between the two neighbors.

The European Union in a statement underlined that the decision is aimed at “facilitating the restoration of peace and security in the area, the building of confidence and the delimitation of the international border between the two states.”

It said, “In order to ensure a swift deployment of the EU monitoring capacity, it was decided that the monitoring experts will be temporarily deployed from the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM Georgia).”

The decision comes after deadly clashes in September along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border that have raised fears of a fresh all-out conflict.

Last month, at least 286 people were killed on both sides before a U.S.-brokered truce ended the clashes.