Prior to the high-level joint meeting of the Armenia-EU-USA in Brussels, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Josep Borrell made statements.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stated that the EU promised to stand shoulder to shoulder with Armenia and today that promise is being fulfilled. “The vision of partnership with Armenia will be realized through the program to contribute to Armenia’s resilience. We will invest in making the Armenian economy and society more robust and resistant to shocks.” said the President of the European Commission, pointing out the 270 million euro grant, which will help especially small and medium-sized companies.

According to von der Leyen, the EU will invest especially in infrastructure projects in Armenia, particularly in the Black Sea electric cable project, as well as in the production of renewable energy.

Ursula von der Leyen saluted the “Crossroads of Peace” project of the Armenian government and noted that the EU will also explore cross-border transport when conditions allow.

The President of the European Commission spoke about the new support package, the European Economic and Investment Plan for Armenia. “It has already mobilized half a billion euros for investments. This is great news and we can do more. That’s why we recently launched the Investment Coordination Platform to be able to identify new projects and speed up implementation,” Von der Leyen said.

The President of the European Commission welcomed Armenia’s efforts towards democratic reforms despite the challenges faced by the country and reaffirmed that the EU will continue to support the ongoing reforms through advice, technical support and funding.

Ursula Von der Leyen added that they do not forget about the plight of displaced people from Nagorno Karabakh. “The humanitarian situation of refugees in Armenia remains a priority. We have provided more than 30 million euros to support them and we are ready to do more,” said President von der Leyen, expressing pleasure that they can count on the United States as a committed and like-minded partner in this effort.

“We will continue to work all together for the future of Armenia, in a stable and prosperous South Caucasus region,” concluded the President of the European Commission.