Commission outlines further support measures for Armenia

Today at the European Political Community Summit in Granada, President von der Leyen outlined further measures of emergency and long-term support to Armenia.

President von der Leyen said: “The EU stands by Armenia. We are doubling our humanitarian support to alleviate the plight of the 100,000 displaced Karabakh Armenians. And we are channelling more budget support towards the Armenian State. The EU remains fully committed to supporting the negotiations with Azerbaijan and facilitating the dialogue.”

The President made the following announcements:

• Humanitarian assistance: the Commission will more than double its humanitarian aid, with a further €5.25 million in emergency assistance added to the previously announced €5.2 million. Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič will travel to Armenia tomorrow to assess the situation and discuss further targeted support, notably through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
• EU4Peace programme: the EU4Peace programme willl be topped up with additional €800,000 to support emergency assistance, confidence-building measures, and media outlets known for their balanced reporting.
• Annual programmes: the Commission will mobilise funding under annual programmes for Armenia in order to allocate €15 million, which can be used as budget support to the state to address socio-economic needs and purchases of food and fuel.
• Technical assistance: the Commission will discuss with the Armenian authorities the urgent provision of technical assistance, including through the TAIEX and Twinning programmes, to address issues like air safety and nuclear safety
• Economic and Investment Plan (EIP): the Commission is working on further support to Armenia, including on infrastructure, via the Economic and Investment Plan, which can deliver up to €2.6 billion of investments. The EIP is already delivering more than €413 million, which includes extensive assistance to the Syunik region in social protection and sustainable energy solutions.
• Regional projects: the Commission will support Armenia’s participation in regional projects, in particular in the Black Sea electricity cable project with Azerbaijan, Georgia, Hungary and Romania