Following her visit to Baku, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Yerevan, where she announced the EU's readiness to expand cooperation with Armenia. She stated that the country's path toward rapprochement with Europe is a conscious choice, based on a commitment to democratic reforms and peaceful development.
"Armenia continues to follow the path of democracy, reforms, peace, and closer cooperation with the EU. On June 7, the Armenian people clearly expressed their preferences by choosing democracy, the rule of law, reforms, and peace," the President of the European Commission stated.
Economic cooperation was a central topic of discussion with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Brussels emphasizes its readiness not only to provide political support to Armenia but also to participate in the development of its economy and infrastructure.
Von der Leyen highlighted the €200 million aid package, the recently launched interregional platform for transport infrastructure development, and the EU's "Transport Infrastructure for Peace" program, which has the potential to attract up to €2 billion in public and private investment.
"We are building real infrastructure that promotes peace. At the same time, we are building bridges between democracies," the head of the European Commission reiterated.
During the visit, support for Armenian manufacturers was given special attention. Von der Leyen stated that Russia is attempting to restrain Yerevan and Brussels from moving closer together using economic leverage, but the EU intends to help Armenia resist this pressure.
"I am aware that not everyone welcomes our rapprochement, so we are well aware that Russia is trying to pressure Armenia not to move too close to the EU. We will not allow this to happen and will assist you in this." "Therefore, I am also here today to clearly state that if Russia closes its market to Armenian products, the European Union will open the door for Armenian goods to enter the EU market with its 450 million consumers," Ms. von der Leyen assured.
Brussels promise to open the European market to virtually all Armenian agricultural products and a significant portion of beverage exports, as well as to help businesses promote their products in EU countries. At the same time, the allocation of tens of millions of euros for trade diversification and the possible creation of an export agency are being discussed.
Visa liberalization was another topic of discussion. The European side has not yet given a specific timeframe, emphasizing that this is a gradual process.
According to the head of the European Commission, Armenia is the only partner that is engaged in such an active dialogue with the EU on this issue, demonstrating a high level of cooperation. She also announced that a special mission will visit the republic in the fall to assess the fulfillment of the necessary conditions outlined in the report published in April.
Once all requirements are met, the parties will be able to move on to visa liberalization. However, as von der Leyen stated, Yerevan will need to continue its reforms to achieve this.
