EU to Further Explore Non-Lethal Support for Armenian Armed Forces

From November 27 to 29, a delegation from the EU's External Action Service and the European Commission visited Armenia to explore potential avenues for deepening and strengthening EU-Armenia relations across all levels, including within the framework of the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement. This was reported by the press and information team of the EU Delegation to Armenia.

According to the statement, the EU and Armenia are committed to building a partnership that will bring tangible benefits to citizens. Participants discussed ways to further strengthen cooperation and implement reforms, including through investments in sectors such as energy, transport, digital, research, and innovation.

There were exchanges of views on how to best utilize investments to address the urgent needs of displaced Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh and to facilitate their integration, as well as to enhance Armenia's social and economic resilience in the long term.

The European Union and Armenia expressed interest in continuing cooperation on reforms in the fields of justice and policing while strengthening collaboration on migration and mobility, as well as exploring the prospects for launching a dialogue on the liberalization of the visa regime with Armenia.

The parties also agreed to explore possible avenues for strengthening cooperation between Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, and Armenia. During the meetings, the mutual interest of Armenia and the EU in continuing dialogue and cooperation in the areas of security and defense was also reaffirmed. In particular, the European Union will further explore non-lethal support for Armenia's armed forces through the European Peace Facility.

In relation to the visit, the launch of an investment coordination platform between the European Union and the Republic of Armenia was announced. The platform will bring together the EU, the Armenian government, and international financial institutions, and it will help to further increase EU investments in Armenia within the framework of the Economic and Investment Plan, through which investments of up to 500 million euros have already been mobilized in Armenia.

During the first meeting of the platform, two new projects were signed aimed at improving the energy efficiency of kindergartens in cooperation with the European Investment Bank (EIB), as well as support for Armenian SMEs in cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

The European Union reaffirmed its continued support for the resolution of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan based on the principles of mutual recognition of territorial integrity and inviolability of borders, grounded in the 1991 Almaty Declaration. Following discussions by the Foreign Relations Council on November 13, the EU will also strengthen its mission in Armenia.

During the visit, representatives from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and Frontex joined the representatives of the EU's External Action Service and the European Commission. The delegation met with Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan, Deputy Foreign Minister Paruir Hovhannisyan, and deputy ministers from relevant sectors. They also exchanged ideas with representatives from civil society organizations and the United Nations.