We Are All Affected by the Consequences of the War That Has Hit Armenia. The EU Is Ready to Support. Charles Michel

The European Union aims to increase its involvement in the region and strengthen ties with the countries in the area. This was stated today by Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, summarizing discussions with acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

He informed that he is heading to Azerbaijan tomorrow and will be in Georgia on Monday for negotiations with the leaders of those countries. One of the goals is to prepare for the summit of the "Eastern Partnership Countries" scheduled for December.

“We are all affected by the consequences of the war that has hit Armenia. The European Union is ready to support the work done within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group,” emphasized Charles Michel.

He highlighted that there are four topics that need to be addressed in the short, medium, and long term to establish welfare and stability in this region. According to the President of the European Council, the first point is moderate rhetoric; it is necessary to try to avoid aggressive rhetoric. The second point is demarcation. The EU hopes that peaceful negotiations can be started on this issue. According to Michel, it is crucial for both sides to withdraw from disputed territories to enable discussions. The third point concerns negotiations on regional communications, and the fourth focuses on peace negotiations.

The European Union wants to be a committed and engaged partner for the welfare, security, and stability of Armenia. Within this framework, we have had the opportunity to talk about our bilateral relations. I am sending you a very strong message: we are by your side and reaffirming once again an unprecedented €2.6 billion financial package for Armenia to support the realization of Armenia's priorities,” said Charles Michel during his regional visit to Yerevan, noting sectors such as infrastructure, digitalization, climate, transport, and democratic reforms.

Speaking about the COVID-19 pandemic, Charles Michel stated that the EU is the world's largest democratic region and continues to export vaccines. The COVAX program is being implemented to make vaccines available worldwide. It was noted that it has been decided to mobilize at least 100,000 doses by the end of the year.