EU appoints head of new Partnership Mission in Armenia

The Council of the European Union has appointed Cosmin George Dinescu as head of the newly established European Union Partnership Mission in Armenia, EUPM Armenia, Report informs, citing the Council.

Dinescu has been appointed for an initial one-year mandate starting on June 11, 2026. The decision was taken by the EU's Political and Security Committee.

EUPM Armenia was established at the request of the Armenian authorities on April 26, 2026, for an initial period of two years. The mission aims to strengthen Armenia's "resilience and crisis management capabilities."

The mission will provide strategic and operational advice to support Armenia in addressing multi-layered threats, including cyberattacks, foreign information manipulation and interference, and illicit financial flows.

Cosmin Dinescu is a Romanian diplomat with the rank of ambassador and more than 25 years of experience in international relations. He has held senior positions at the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and served as Romania's ambassador to Lithuania and Latvia, as well as to Croatia.

Most recently, Dinescu served for three years as the first head of the European Union Partnership Mission in Moldova, EUPM Moldova. In that role, he guided the establishment of the EU's first civilian mission under the Common Security and Defence Policy focused on supporting national crisis management structures and countering hybrid threats.

EUPM Armenia is the second civilian CSDP mission in Armenia. It is separate from the EU Mission in Armenia, EUMA, established in 2023, which is tasked with observing and reporting on the situation on the ground, contributing to confidence-building and human security in conflict-affected areas.