On Thursday and Friday (19-20 March), Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos was in Armenia to further reinforce cooperation between the EU and Armenia, and advance regional connectivity.
On Thursday in Yerevan, the Commissioner met Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan. Discussions focused on the preparation of the upcoming EU-Armenia Summit, as well as strengthening transport, digital, energy and trade links, in line with the EU Connectivity Agenda. They also exchanged on the regional situation as well as the democratic resilience of Armenia. Commissioner Kos also met Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia, Mher Grigoryan to review progress on the EU’s €270 million Resilience and Growth Plan for Armenia. A joint press conference followed their meeting and was transmitted on EBS+. The Commissioner also met Foreign Minister of Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan, to exchange on the latest regional developments.
On Friday in Gyumri, Commissioner Kos visited EU-funded enterprises supporting social inclusion, local economic growth and job creation. In 2024 alone, EU programmes supported more than 7,000 Armenian businesses, creating more than 20,000 jobs. The Commissioner also visited Gyumri’s historic marketplace, currently under EU-funded restoration, as well as an innovation hub promoting youth skills in technology and design. Commissioner Kos delivered a speech at Shirak State University. She then met with Young European Ambassadors, as well as with the local civil society representatives and journalists involved in EU-funded projects to exchange views on their work and discuss their role in in safeguarding Armenia’s democratic resilience.
Audiovisual material of the visit is available on EBS.