EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos said she is glad to be back in Armenia and see the process the country has in past half year. In her statement with Mher Grigoryan, Armenia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Kos said:
“I can see with my own eyes how the transition process in Armenia is going on and a great deal has happened in those six months since I was here and the world has become even more unstable and that has shown once again why our work in South Caucasus matters so much. It has shown how important it is to have reliable partners and friends and this is how we see Armenia. Allow me to wholeheartedly thank you for your help in evacuating European citizens from this region. Thank you so much.
This is really an important year for Armenia. In May, Armenia will host the European Political Community Meeting, followed by the first ever EU Armenia summit that shows how important this region has become for Europe and how much our partnership has deepened. With war raging to the north and south, trade routes through South Caucasus are becoming more important than ever. Together with the deputy prime minister uh Grigoryan, we looked at where we can improve infrastructure to cut transport time and costs between Europe and Asia. Traffic along this route has quadrupled since 2022. Can you imagine since 2000 in four years it is four times higher? So with the right investment, it could, this is what the experts say, tripled until 2030. And that would benefit Armenia and of course it would benefit also Europe.
But our work is really not only about trade and economics. It also I see it as a contribution to peace. Armenia and Azabajan have taken important steps towards peace and stability and I want to commend those efforts. Europe wants to help. We are ready to invest in regional connectivity to promote sustainable peace, stability and prosperity. And this is how our European Union has been built on upon peace, stability and prosperity. Opening border crossing points, building bridges and modern roads can connect people as well as markets. By building stronger economic ties, we can also help reduce the risk of conflict. Europe knows from its own history how important this is.
At the same time, we are helping Armenia's economy grow. Since the announcements of the growth and resilience plan in April, 2024, EU support has already helped 7,000 businesses and contributed to the creation of more than 20,000 jobs. We are also building schools, investing in housing and social services, and supporting the integration of Karabah Armenians with over 70 million euro in assistance including cash support, housing, and social services.
The EU is also financing the modernization of Armenia's education system, including the renovation of seven schools across the country, and we are determined to continue our support. This is why today we signed the financing agreement that will lock an additional 140 million for Armenia.
Among other the money will support reforms needed to move forward on full visa liberalization and this is important. Armenia is the only country in the world in an active visa liberalization dialogue with the EU reflecting the depth of our ties.
And finally, this is also an important year for Armenian democracy. In June, Armenians will go to the polls. Across Europe, we see malicious actors trying every day to undermine democratic processes through cyber attacks, disinformation, and other forms of interference, and Europe is here to help. We will support Armenia in fighting hybrid threats and disinformation so that Armenians can vote freely and fairly and decide the future of their country for themselves”.
