European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has arrived in Yerevan to say that Armenia can count on the European Union (EU). She made the announcement during a joint press conference with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday.

Congratulating Pashinyan on his ruling party’s win in the parliamentary elections held in Armenia on 7 June, von der Leyen said that these elections once again showed the strength of Armenia’s democracy and that the spirit of revolution is alive and thriving in the country.

The European official said she came to Armenia to say that the country can count on the EU, and when Armenia is closer to Europe, the entire South Caucasus is closer.

Speaking about regional processes, she stressed the historical importance of the initialing of the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty and the normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations. According to her, this requires political will and courage, but the results will be impressive, turning the region into a crucial crossroads.

Also, the European Commission chief repeated in the Armenian capital of Yerevan the promises she had made Wednesday in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku to allocate 200 million euros for connectivity projects in the South Caucasus, which in the future could lead to 2 billion euros in investments in transport and energy projects.

In addition, the European official pledged to allocate another 20 million euros for the economic development of border villages, the creation of micro-enterprises, refrigeration plants, and water resource management.

In general, this will create a basis for dialogue and enable achieving tangible results for peace, Ursula von der Leyen added.