European Commissioner: EU to provide Armenia with over EUR 200 million  under Resilience and Growth Plan

ArmInfo. Armenia attaches importance to the agreement reached with the European Union regarding a new agenda. Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan stated this on September 19 during a joint news conference  with European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos.

He expressed hope that this agenda will be approved during the  meeting of the Armenia-EU Partnership Council, to be held this year  in Brussels. "I am confident that this process will contribute to the  further deepening of our relations, as well as the progress of  Armenia's democratic and economic reforms," the Deputy Prime Minister  noted. He  added that the Armenian side is ready to fully implement  the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement. Grigoryan noted  that during the talks held today, the parties mutually emphasized the  importance of the region's peaceful development. It was also noted  that the process of visa liberalization for Armenian citizens is a  significant component in  developing relations. "We are confident  that thanks to our joint efforts, we will achieve significant  results," the Deputy Prime Minister said.

He also announced that a high-level political dialogue between  Armenia and the EU had launched today, which will become a new  platform for discussing the budget process for enhancing Armenia's  resilience, approved back in April of last year.

In response, Marta Kos noted that she was pleased to be in Yerevan,  where she was visiting for the first time. She noted that she was in  Armenia on a regional visit and expressed the EU's readiness to  contribute to a peaceful partnership. She emphasized the importance  of investment in this process. "Often, when speaking about economic  cooperation, we forget the importance of living in peace. The South  Caucasus and Armenia are a very important part of the EU." The  European Union is pleased to announce the launch of a second program  to strengthen Armenia's resilience. This program, totaling over ?200  million, will support the country's resilience and growth. This  commitment demonstrates the EU's commitment to supporting your  country in implementing its reform programs.

Regarding the high-level political dialogue platform, the European  Commissioner emphasized that it will serve as a venue for discussions  on the Global Gateway initiative. The EU has already mobilized  approximately ?2.5 billion to implement this initiative. An agreement  was also signed with the EBRD, with funds to be used to improve  customs operations and address the needs of refugees from  Nagorno-Karabakh.  The EU is prepared to invest in trade, energy, key  infrastructure, and the Crossroads of Peace initiative.  "The EU is  also actively working to developing an international and regional  connectivity system to link Europe with Central Asia, the Caucasus  with the ports of Turkey, and Armenia is a key player in this  project," Marta Kos emphasized.