YEREVAN. –The European Union (EU) will allocate €1.6 million to create jobs in the border villages of Armenia, said Davit Lokyan, Minister of Territorial Administration and Development, at a press conference on Saturday. 

He noted that with this amount, they will assist agricultural cooperatives as well as small and medium-sized businesses. 

“In other words, to everything that will help increase employment,” said Lokyan. “This is especially important to villages.” 

Another program will be aimed at hotel development in Dilijan town and surrounding villages, and about €1․2 million will be allocated for this project. 

One more employment support program is implemented in Tavush Province, and it is funded by the Russian government. A total of 45 border villages are included in this program, whose objective is to help create structures, recycling points, as well as new gardens and rural infrastructure for greenhouses, fruits, and berries.