Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

In fact, the European Union does not monitor elections in the OSCE region; that work is left to the OSCE itself, and there is an agreement between the EU and the OSCE to that effect. The EU carries out election monitoring in Africa, Latin America, Asia and other areas outside the OSCE. As I have said, we have already made arrangements through a needs assessment mission that took place between 30 January and 1 February, which resulted in a recommendation that there should be an election observation mission. The size of that mission has been agreed; a formal invitation is required from Armenia to bring it about, but I have no reason to believe that will not be forthcoming. I expect that when the election mission has completed its work, as is normally the case, the OSCE will publish a report of the mission, which will be available to the EU, and the Minister of State and I will take the opportunity to discuss this at the Foreign Affairs Council or the General Affairs Council, as appropriate.

See this speech in context