ArmInfo. The cooperation between the EU and Armenia is based on common values, joint commitments aimed at promoting peace, development and prosperity in Armenia and the region, head of the EU Delegation to Armenia Vassilis Maragos stated at the 'Crossroads of Peace: combining security and democracy' forum in Yerevan, on October 12.
According to him, this cooperation is also based on other pillars related to the international order and governance, which today face serious threats.
"And I would like to immediately emphasize that the Partnership Council, in which Minister Mirzoyan also took part, welcomed this initiative, the goal of which is to establish peace and normal relations, open transport communications in the region, while maintaining the principles of national self-determination and ensuring reciprocity, which underlie the Crossroads of Peace project," Maragos noted.
In this vein, he recalled that in October last year he attended the presentation of this project by the Prime Minister of Armenia, which was welcomed by everyone.
"We welcomed this and we are actively working with all our partners in Armenia in this direction, as well as with our partners in the region, so that the initiative can be implemented," the EU Ambassador emphasized. At the same time, he added that another positive process has been taking place between Armenia and the European Union since October last year.
"Do you remember the Prime Minister's speech in the European Parliament about a year ago? And we also received a specific task from the Council of Europe to develop relations between Armenia and the EU in different directions. And since then, the EU and Armenia have been working tirelessly, opening up new areas of interaction so that this can be implemented. And I can proudly say that these joint efforts are yielding results. Why? Because there is a joint political commitment and a specific focus on both sides, as well as a joint commitment to our common values: human rights, democracy, the rule of law," Maragos said.
The diplomat stressed that the European Union has supported and continues to support Armenia in a number of areas: economic, legal, the interconnectedness of reforms, independence and regional ties. Maragos noted that peace is part of this support.
"We are currently negotiating a partnership program and have already made good progress. And we will unleash the full potential of Armenia-EU relations, which we also agreed on in our CEPA agreement. Justice, governance, human rights are the main areas in which we work, and we are trying to strengthen not only Armenian institutions, but also trying to ensure the democratic sustainability of the country in the long term," the EU said. Ambassador.
Vassilis Maragos recalled that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented the Resilience and Growth Program on April 5 during a meeting with RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
"Armenia will receive 270 million euros in grant support over four years, and we hope that this will play an important role in terms of developing Armenia's resilience and bringing it closer to Europe, especially in terms of connectivity, business development, as well as economic diversification, as well as sustainable economic development in the regional and global market. And this is important for the implementation of the vision of peace and prosperity in the entire region. This vision is not directed against anyone in the region, but it is consistent and in line with our policy in the region. I would also like to emphasize that more than 600 million euros of investments have been made within the framework of the economic and investment program through grants and loans. This is infrastructure, private sector development, development of a green economy. In this sense, we have formed an investment platform," he said, adding that the EU is also working in the field of nuclear and aviation security.
According to Maragos, the EU is also dealing with the fate of the Karabakh Armenians. "In one year we have invested more than one hundred million euros, and as part of our budget support it was decided to add thirty million to the government's budget to share with you the burden placed on the government's shoulders," the European diplomat said.
The ambassador then recalled the support within the framework of the European Instrument for Peace.
"There is also a decision by European ministers on July 22, according to which Armenia is a country that will be able to benefit from the support of the Peace Fund. This is non-lethal support, and it will strengthen your capacity, especially when it comes to peace and participation in missions. We have an event worth 10 million for Armenia's participation in peacekeeping missions conducted by the European Union. We have received the green light from member states, and this is a complex process," Maragos said.
He then touched upon the liberalization of the visa regime, stressing that the institutions of the European Union, as well as member states and Armenia, had been working on this issue for a month. "There was a meeting in Yerevan, and we must also work in this direction so that visa liberalization becomes a reality. Technical work is underway in this direction.
He stressed that, nevertheless, the institutions of the European Union, as well as the member states and Armenia, were working a month ago. "There was a meeting in Yerevan, and we also need to work towards making visa liberalization a reality. Technical work is underway in this direction. All this will have a positive impact on the reforms being carried out in Armenia, Armenia's sustainability, economic development, and I must repeat, it will also have a positive impact on regional ties, as well as peace and normalization. Visa liberalization in particular will bring very positive results in terms of establishing people-to-people ties, which is also important in terms of establishing ties," he said, pointing out the importance of using all resources to achieve success, although this may take years.
