During an expanded meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and European Council President António Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, referring to events taking place in Armenia within the framework of the European Political Community, noted that Armenia and the EU are reaching a new level of partnership in terms of cooperation and connectivity.
The European Commission President also recalled that Armenia provides the shortest route between Europe and Central Asia and the Caspian Sea.
“In the past, due to the geopolitical realities of war, this route was closed. Now that is changing thanks to your courageous choice for peace and greater integration into European networks. Through this, Armenia can become a regional hub for new trade routes, especially in terms of critical raw materials.
Europe is ready to support this with physical infrastructure, as these goods and resources need to be transported. We are also ready to assist in terms of local energy production and energy connectivity via the Black Sea, as well as to integrate your growing and thriving digital sector into the European digital space for further growth and development.
From Ukraine to Iran, the entire region is shaken by war, while here in the South Caucasus, there is a different story, a different situation. In an era of new conflicts, you are healing old wounds, and we want to support you in demonstrating that peace leads to prosperity, and that connectivity can play the same role here as it did in your region 88 years ago, when the Coal and Steel Community laid the foundation for the European Union. It was through the establishment of trade ties that former enemies became friends and peace was established in the region,” she said.
