Following Armenia’s recent general elections, the European Union has strengthened its support for the country at a meeting to boost the EU-Armenia partnership, trade and connectivity.
“The recent elections have shown the strength of Armenia’s democracy”, said European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen: “The Armenian people have chosen reform and a closer partnership with our Union. No country should be pressured for a sovereign choice. This is why the EU is stepping up, with €52 million and proposed tariff-free access for 80% of Armenia’s exports to the EU. Armenia can count on us.”
At the meeting, the EU welcomed the historic progress towards peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the continued normalisation of relations with Türkiye.
The EU says it will support transport, energy and digital connectivity projects that will help unlock the economic benefits of lasting peace in the region and will foster cooperation between its people.
To further support local communities in Armenia and Azerbaijan, Ms von der Leyen has announced an additional €20 million in Peace Dividends. This will ensure that people experience the tangible benefits of peace in their everyday lives, and includes investments in healthcare, demining, skills development and local businesses. By improving livelihoods and strengthening local resilience, the package will contribute to the creation of a lasting culture of peace.
The Autonomous Trade Measures announced by Ms von der Leyen will liberalise around 80% of Armenian exports to the EU. The measures aim to support Armenian exporters in diversifying towards the EU market, including in sectors affected by recent Russian trade restrictions. Once adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, these temporary measures will provide improved access for Armenian goods to the EU market. They will cover almost 99% of Armenia’s exports of fresh fruit, vegetables and plants to Russia and more than 91% of beverages and spirits.
To ensure fast trade diversification, the European Commission says it will deploy experts to Armenia by mid-July to work directly with producers and exporters. These missions will help businesses identify new market opportunities, meet EU standards, strengthen export capacity and unlock greater access to the EU Single Market.
Following the Commission chief’s announcement of a €52 million support package for Armenia in early June, the EU disbursed €34 million within two weeks. The remaining €18 million will be released shortly, bringing the total financial support for Armenia to €288 million.
The Commission says this funding supports Armenia’s trade diversification by strengthening export capacity, infrastructure, geographical indications and facilitate greater access to the EU market. It is accompanied by a technical assistance package, which is being refocused to further strengthen these priorities, as identified by the Joint EU–Armenia Task Force.
The EU and Armenia are to hold a high-level dialogue in Yerevan before the end of the year to jointly review progress on reforms under the Multi-Sector Budget Support Programme for Armenia.
EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement
