President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, lauded Armenia as a friend on Wednesday.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Strasbourg, Metsola said the European Parliament and the Armenian National Assembly will continue to play a leading role in bringing Armenia closer to the European Union.
“When Europe looks at Armenia, it sees a friend. I hope that when Armenia looks at Europe, it sees an ally and a partner,” Metsola said.
She emphasized that under the leadership of Nikol Pashinyan, there have been significant achievements in Armenia–EU relations since the last European Political Community summit. The EU and Armenia have agreed on a new strategic agenda. According to Metsola, this step will support democratic reforms in Armenia, strengthen the country’s economic resilience, uphold the rule of law, and deepen bilateral cooperation in the field of security. The European Parliament also welcomed the fact that Armenia has been presented with an action plan for visa liberalization.
“All of this contributes to Europe’s overall goal of strengthening our cooperation across different sectors. I am confident that our parliaments will continue to play a leading role in bringing Armenia closer to our Union,” the European Parliament president said.
She added that they are looking forward to continuing discussions next week during the session of the EU–Armenia Parliamentary Partnership Committee.
Metsola also said she is eagerly anticipating the European Political Community summit, which will take place in early May in Yerevan. She noted that she will be in Yerevan during that time to attend the summit.
The EU seeks to deepen political dialogue with Armenia across various fields, including security, trade, and regional connectivity, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said at a press conference with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Strasbourg.
When asked by Armenpress about the prospects for deepening Armenia–EU ties, given the European Parliament’s ongoing support for Armenia’s democracy, Metsola pointed out that there is a strong commitment on the part of both the European Union and Armenia to strengthen relations.
“We welcome Armenia’s commitment to strengthening parliamentary ties, and there is an ongoing political dialogue in this regard. We genuinely want to deepen our relations in the fields of security, trade, and regional connectivity, and we have been emphasizing this within our institution for years,” the European Parliament president said.
Metsola highlighted that the level of relations with Armenia has increased significantly over the years.
“In line with the recent commitment of our Armenian friends, we want to further deepen our relations. This is why we wanted to invite the Armenian Prime Minister here today. Within our mandate, this is only the first step. Next week, the EU–Armenia Parliamentary Partnership Committee will hold its session, and in May, for the first time in history, the Armenia–EU summit will take place in Yerevan,” Metsola added.
Referring to the European Parliament’s potential increased presence in Armenia, she noted that such decisions are made by the Parliament’s Bureau.
“A few months ago, we decided to open an office in Moldova, which will cover the entire Eastern Partnership region, including Armenia. In this regard, we fully reaffirm our commitment to all our Eastern Partnership partners,” Metsola emphasized.
Metsola expressed gratitude to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during their joint press conference on Wednesday in Strasbourg for facilitating the evacuation of European citizens amid the war in Iran and Middle East escalation.
“In recent days, amid developments in Iran, Armenia has become a crucial humanitarian corridor. I want to express my gratitude to you. Thank you for helping evacuate European citizens,” Metsola told Pashinyan.
