EU and Armenia strengthen their partnership, boosting resilience, trade and connectivity

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

Today in Yerevan, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, together with Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, met with Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan. The visit follows the recent general elections that showed the strength of Armenia’s democracy and its commitment to continuing the path of reform and closer partnership with the EU.

As the South Caucasus moves towards greater regional cooperation, new opportunities are emerging to deliver greater stability, prosperity, and security for its people. Broader cooperation between the EU and Armenia is central to this vision. The EU remains firmly committed to supporting Armenia in strengthening its resilience, boosting connectivity, and deepening ties with the Union. In the current context, Armenia also faces growing external economic pressure. In response, the EU is stepping up its support to help diversify trade.

European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen said: “The recent elections have shown the strength of Armenia’s democracy. The Armenian people have chosen reform and a closer partnership with our Union. No country should be pressured for a sovereign choice. This is why the EU is stepping up, with €52 million and proposed tariff-free access for 80% of Armenia’s exports to the EU. Armenia can count on us.”

Peace through enhanced partnership

Armenia has positioned itself as beacon of stability and democratic resilience in the South Caucasus region. In this context, the EU welcomes the historic progress towards peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the continued normalisation of relations with Türkiye.

The EU will support transport, energy and digital connectivity projects that will help unlock the economic benefits of lasting peace in the region and will foster cooperation between its people. This commitment builds on the recent launch of the cross-Regional Connectivity Platform and the EU Connectivity for Peace Package of up to €200 million in connectivity projects for the South Caucasus, which has the potential to mobilise up to €2 billion in public and private investment.

To further support local communities in Armenia and Azerbaijan, President von der Leyen yesterday announced an additional €20 million in Peace Dividends. This will ensure that people experience the tangible benefits of peace in their everyday lives, and includes investments in healthcare, demining, skills development and local businesses. By improving livelihoods and strengthening local resilience, the package will contribute to the creation of a lasting culture of peace.

Diversifying trade and resilience

The Autonomous Trade Measures announced by President von der Leyen will liberalise around 80% of Armenian exports to the EU. The measures aim to support Armenian exporters in diversifying towards the EU market, including in sectors affected by recent Russian trade restrictions. Once adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, these temporary measures will provide improved access for Armenian goods to the EU market. They will cover almost 99% of Armenia’s exports of fresh fruit, vegetables and plants to Russia and more than 91% of beverages and spirits.

To ensure fast trade diversification, the European Commission will deploy experts to Armenia by mid-July to work directly with producers and exporters. These missions will help businesses identify new market opportunities, meet EU standards, strengthen export capacity and unlock greater access to the EU Single Market.

EU’s financial support package for Armenia

Following President von der Leyen’s announcement of a €52 million support package for Armenia in early June, the EU disbursed €34 million within two weeks. The remaining €18 million will be released shortly, bringing the total financial support for Armenia to €288 million.

This funding supports Armenia’s trade diversification by strengthening export capacity, infrastructure, geographical indications and facilitate greater access to the EU market. It is accompanied by a technical assistance package, which is being refocused to further strengthen these priorities, as identified by the Joint EU–Armenia Task Force.

The EU and Armenia will hold a high-level dialogue in Yerevan before the end of the year to jointly review progress on reforms under the Multi-Sector Budget Support Programme for Armenia

Background

EU relations with Armenia are based on the EU–Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA), in force since 2021, and the Strategic Agenda for the EU–Armenia Partnership, agreed in 2025. Through CEPA, Armenia has committed to a comprehensive reform agenda grounded in democracy, transparency and the rule of law. In September 2024, the EU launched a visa liberalisation dialogue with Armenia to support the country’s objective of achieving a visa-free travel regime with the EU.

The EU welcomed the initialling of the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace agreement and the signing of a political declaration in August 2025, marking a significant step towards ending decades of conflict in the region.

In December 2025, the EU–Armenia Partnership Council adopted the Strategic Agenda for the EU–Armenia Partnership. This was followed in May 2026 by the first EU–Armenia Summit in Yerevan, which focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation, in particular in the areas of connectivity, energy, transport and digital transformation.