The European Union will provide Armenia with an additional €140 million in financial support to advance reforms, strengthen bilateral cooperation, and support progress toward visa liberalization, EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos announced in Yerevan during a joint press conference with Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, where Armenia and the EU also signed a 2025–2027 financing agreement under the “Resilience and Growth” plan.
Grigoryan said the agreement reflects the deepening of Armenia–EU cooperation in reforms, economic development, and regional connectivity. He added that Kos’s second visit to Armenia within six months demonstrates the active development of bilateral ties and an expanding partnership.
Kos described Armenia as a reliable partner for the EU in the South Caucasus, highlighting the region’s growing strategic importance amid shifting global geopolitical dynamics. This marks her second visit to Armenia in the past six months, following a regional trip to Armenia and Azerbaijan in September 2025.
“This is an important year for Armenia,” she said. “In May, Armenia will host the European Political Community Summit, followed by the first-ever EU-Armenia Summit. This demonstrates how much the importance of this region has increased for Europe and how deeply our partnership has developed.”
Under the EU’s “Resilience and Growth” program, around 7,000 enterprises have already received support, contributing to the creation of more than 20,000 jobs. Additional projects are underway in education, social services, and housing, including assistance for those displaced from Artsakh, with support exceeding €70 million.
The newly announced €140 million package will also target reforms required for advancing the visa liberalization process.
“These funds will contribute to the reforms needed to make progress in the visa liberalization process,” Kos noted.
According to the Commissioner, freight transport through the South Caucasus has significantly increased in recent years, with volumes quadrupling since 2022. She said continued infrastructure investments could further boost these figures by reducing transport time and costs.
Kos emphasized that EU engagement in Armenia extends beyond economic cooperation and also contributes to regional peace and stability. She welcomed ongoing steps by Armenia and Azerbaijan toward normalization and underlined the importance of enhancing regional connectivity.
She also addressed democratic resilience, stressing that the EU stands ready to support Armenia in countering hybrid threats and disinformation, as well as ensuring free and fair elections.
It was also recently announced that the European Union will send a Hybrid Rapid Response Team to Armenia ahead of elections, deploying a group of 9–14 experts in early April to support the authorities in countering hybrid threats and foreign information manipulation.
The mission will remain in the country for 10–15 days. The team will assist the Prime Minister’s Office and the Security Council in developing crisis management plans and regulatory frameworks for responding to cyberattacks and foreign information manipulation. The support will also extend to the Central Electoral Commission, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the tax authorities.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also received the delegation led by Marta Kos.
Pashinyan welcomed the visit, describing it as a valuable opportunity to discuss the broad agenda of Armenia–EU cooperation, while reaffirming the government’s commitment to democratic reforms, strengthening the rule of law, and enhancing institutional capacity.
Regional issues and steps toward peace were also addressed, with Kos reiterating the EU’s full support for Armenia’s peace agenda. Both sides underscored the importance of sustained high-level dialogue and continued joint efforts to deepen cooperation.
In a post on X, Marta Kos stated that, amid the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, relations with Armenia and efforts to achieve peace in the South Caucasus have gained even greater importance.
Referring to her March 19 meeting with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Kos wrote that “Armenia and the EU have never been closer,” emphasizing that deepening cooperation is crucial for strengthening trade and energy connections with Asia.
She added that discussions focused on improving regional connectivity, fostering prosperity, and ensuring long-term peace.
