European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hosted a meeting with US Secretary Antony Blinken and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on April 5th in Berlaymont, Brussels. High Representative Vice-President (HRVP) Josep Borrell was also present. The main topic of discussion was how the EU can support Armenia, as it has committed to doing so.
“I’m glad to host a meeting in support of Armenia,” the EC President said. “We’re delivering on a promise we made last October, the promise to stand shoulder to shoulder by Armenia, with Armenia – and at the same time, the promise to set a vision for the future of our partnership. And this is what we are going to be discussing today”.
During her speech, Von der Leyen announced that the European Union would support Armenia’s vision for a more resilient and prosperous society. To achieve this, the EU has pledged to provide 270 million euros in grants over the next four years. The investment aims to strengthen the Armenian economy and society and make them more resilient to shocks, thereby ensuring long-term growth and stability.
“We will support your businesses, your talents, in particular your small and medium enterprises, so that we can help them to grow, to innovate, and to access new markets,” von der Leyen said.
The President of the European Commission has announced investments towards critical infrastructure projects, including the Black Sea electricity cable, which can provide renewable energy to Europe. The EU will continue to invest in Armenia’s renewable energy production, improve interconnections with Georgia, and explore cross-border transportation when feasible.
The President welcomed Prime Minister Pashinyan’s Crossroads of Peace initiative and announced new aviation, nuclear safety, and trade diversification measures. This support package builds on the success of an existing economic and investment plan that has already mobilised over half a billion euros in investments. The EU has also launched an investment coordination platform to identify new projects and maximise the potential of investments. The President congratulated Prime Minister Pashinyan on his government’s efforts to implement democratic reforms despite challenges. She welcomed Armenia’s measures against the circumvention of EU sanctions on Russia to prevent lethal equipment and technologies from reaching Russian military hands.
“This shows that the European Union and Armenia are increasingly aligned in values and interests,” von der Leyen said.
She noted that the EU has provided over 30 million euros in support of the refugees from Nagorno Karabakh since last September.
“The humanitarian situation of refugees in Armenia remains a priority. We have, and we’re ready to do more to support the long-term integration of refugees”.
Secretary Blinken: “A democratic, prosperous future for the Armenian people”
US Secretary Antony Blinken reaffirmed transatlantic support for a democratic and prosperous future for the Armenian people and a more integrated and peaceful South Caucasus region.
“We share the Armenian peoples’ vision for the future. We want Armenia to become a strong, independent nation at peace with its neighbours, connected to the region and the world. The United States and the European Union both want to be partners in this effort, and I think today is evidence of that”, Secretary Blinken said.
The US government “plans to provide over $65 million in assistance from our FY23 budget funds,” Blinken added. “That’s up more than 50 per cent from two years ago. We’re committed to further growing our support for Armenia’s democratic and economic resilience, with investments for food security, digital infrastructure, diversification of energy, diversification of trade partners, and other priorities that the prime minister has set”.
The US secretary has announced that the United States will continue to provide support to the 100,000 ethnic Armenians who were displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh. This aid is essential for Armenia’s long-term stability, as well as its regional security. The US will also support efforts to help these people integrate into Armenian society and the economy, including providing access to housing, jobs, and education. Secretary Blinken emphasised that regional integration is critical to Armenia’s security and prosperity, and the United States fully supports the Crossroads of Peace proposal. This proposal envisions a more integrated South Caucasus with new transportation routes, energy cooperation, and telecommunications.
Armenia advances justice and public sector reforms, says PM Pashinyan
Prime Minister Pashinyan said the high-level meeting underscores Armenia’s commitment to more accountable and citizen-centred public institutions that deliver to its people.
“Today’s high-level dialogue signifies Armenia’s expanded partnership with the United States and the European Union,” the PM of the Republic of Armenia said. “Despite facing multiple crises, Armenia has made significant progress toward issuing democracy. Expanding on the achieved progress, we will discuss Armenians’ efforts to strengthen the resilience of its democratic institutions. We firmly believe that the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms underpin our cooperation. The Republic of Armenia reaffirms its commitment to advances – advancing justice and public sector reforms to build a stronger, more secure, and advanced country,” PM Pashinyan added.
The Prime Minister has stated that his government is committed to improving the competitiveness of the Armenian private sector, expanding into new markets, improving the investment climate, and making it more attractive to European and American companies.
He has also emphasised the importance of promoting socio-economic inclusion, as well as addressing the short- and long-term needs of over 100,000 forcibly displaced Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh. The Prime Minister has urged collective efforts to focus on empowering refugees to rebuild their lives with dignity through housing and economic activation policies.
“I want to stress that we remain committed to the normalisation of relations with Azerbaijan based on mutual recognition of each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in accordance with the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1991,” the PM said. “Armenia is also fully committed to the delimitation of borders based on the Alma-Ata Declaration and unblocking all the regional communications based on full respect for countries’ sovereignty and jurisdiction, and the principles of equality and reciprocity. To achieve this objective, we have introduced the Crossroads of Peace initiative, which aims to promote connectivity and dialogue with neighbouring countries and beyond. To enhance synergies in the wider region, we seek to integrate our initiative with the EU’s Global Gateway strategy and expect the support of our partners in this regard,” Pashinyan added.
HRVP Josep Borrell highlighted that the EC held a partnership council with Armenia in Brussels two months ago.
“It was clear that our relations are developing in a positive track, that they are stronger than ever, and that there is a mutual interest to advance them further,” Borrell said. “We are taking this partnership to the next level, together with our American friends, joining forces to demonstrate our strong commitment to Armenia’s sovereignty, democracy, and resilience”.
HRVP Borrell has stated that he agreed with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on elevating the Armenia-EU partnership agenda to the highest possible level within the partnership council. To increase its resilience, Armenia must continue to focus on implementing reforms, which will be included in the comprehensive and enhanced partnership agreement. These efforts will help to strengthen Armenian society and make it more resilient, particularly in light of increasing foreign interference and information manipulations targeting the country. “Because we believe that a stronger, a more stable Armenia means a stronger, a more stable South Caucasus,” stressed Josep Borrell.
