OTTAWA – Canada will send two experts to take part in a mission aimed at preventing a new war between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

This unarmed mission, led by the European Union, involves a hundred civilian observers who monitor the situation on the border between the two countries.

Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly announced on Friday morning that Canada would contribute to this mission by sending two experts.

The mission was created after rising tensions in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, populated mostly by ethnic Armenians but internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.

Ms Joly stressed in April that she was “deeply concerned” that Azerbaijan was fueling disputes with Armenia over the province by blocking its main access route.

Canada has joined other similar European Union missions in the past, such as in Afghanistan and the West Bank.

This announcement of support for the European mission came just months before Canada will open a full embassy in Armenia, which is expected to happen this fall.

It also intervened in a context where unconfirmed information suggests Canada may relax its arms embargo on Turkey. Ottawa banned that country from receiving weapons after Canadian sensors surfaced in drones deployed by Azerbaijan in a 2020 war in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Tensions in the region escalated last fall when the main access road to the region was blocked by Azerbaijani groups who insisted they were independent environmental activists opposed to mining.

The Azerbaijani government has claimed no connection to these groups, but this claim has been disputed by many observers.

In recent months, the two countries have calmed their dispute, yet access to the region is understood to still be restricted, affecting food availability.

In April 2022, former Foreign Minister Stéphane Dion presented Ms Joly with a report on support for Armenian democracy as part of his role as the Liberals’ special envoy for Europe.

The report said Ottawa should prioritize the development of Armenia’s “fragile democracy” by supporting anti-corruption efforts.

He pointed out that Russia’s influence in the region is waning as Moscow shifts its military resources to the Ukrainian frontline, which has affected the stability of some of its neighbors.