About European Union Mission in Armenia
EU Mission in Armenia (EUMA) was launched by the decision of EU Foreign Affairs Council on 20 February 2023, when it also started its operational activities. EUMA is tasked with observing and reporting on the situation on the ground, contributing to human security in conflict-affected areas and supporting the confidence building between Armenia and Azerbaijan, where possible. EUMA is an essential component of the EU’s efforts in supporting peace and stability in the region.
The EU established the Mission in response to an official request by the Armenian authorities to deploy a full-fledged EU civilian mission on the ground. This deployment follows the successful experience of the EU Monitoring Capacity (EUMCAP) deployed previously on the Armenian side of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border between 20 October 2022 and 19 December 2022.
The Mission has a two-year mandate and will involve up to 209 personnel including 165 international and 44 local staff. EUMA observers and civilian experts come from 23 EU Member States and the Third Contributing State Canada.
EUMA is deployed on the Armenian side of the international border with Azerbaijan. EUMA Headquarters is located in Yeghegnadzor, with six Forward Operating Bases in Yeghegnadzor, Jermuk, Martuni, Kapan, Goris and Ijevan. The Mission also has a liaison office in Yerevan. EUMA is exclusively deployed and operating within the internationally recognised territory of Armenia.
EUMA coordinates all its activities with the Armenian authorities. It also informs the Azerbaijani side of relevant developments as appropriate.
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Dr. Markus Ritter
Head of Mission for the European Union Mission in Armenia
Born 1962, married, two children
Dr. Markus Ritter, Head of Mission of the European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA), is a senior police officer with extensive experience on national and international level. During his 27 years of professional career with the German Federal Police, he held various leadership positions on executive and staff level. Initially commanding a crowd and riot police Battalion 1997/1998, he headed various Federal Border Guard sections, succeeded by the position as Deputy Director of the Border Guard Department at Frankfurt Airport 2002 - 2004. Following two years as Head of Section for International Police Cooperation at the Federal Police Central Office in Koblenz 2006/2007, he served 2008 – 2012 as Head of a regional Border Police Department in Kaiserslautern and 2014 as Senior Officer at the Federal Police Central Office in Potsdam. In 2014 Ritter was appointed Vice President of the Regional Federal Police Directorate Frankfurt International Airport, succeeded by his promotion to President of the Regional Federal Police Directorate Stuttgart in 2020, where he stayed until February 2023.
Moreover, Ritter gained extensive experience during five international deployments:
- 2004/2005 as Chief of Staff for UNMIK/Kosovo
- 2007/2008 as Chief of Staff for UNOMIG/Georgia
- 2009 - 2011 as Head of German Police Project Team (GPPT) in Afghanistan
- 2012/2013 as Head of Planning and Operations for European Union Aviation Security Mission (EUAVSEC) in Juba, South Sudan
- 2017 – 2019 as Head of Mission for the European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) in Bagdad, Iraq.
In February 2023 he was appointed Head of Mission of the EUMA.
His academic background is as follows:
- 1989 – 1994 he studied law at Heidelberg University and holds a Master’s degree in Law (First State Examination in Law).
- 1995/1996 Legal clerkship at the District Court of Heidelberg to obtain the Second State Examination in Law in 1996 and parallel post-graduate studies of Administrative Sciences at the German University of Administrative Sciences in Speyer.
- He holds an M.A. in Administrative Sciences since 1996.
- 1999 Doctorate (PhD) at the German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer.
Follow the link to download a PDF with biographical information of Dr. Markus Ritter..
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