Armenia and the EU have very major joint energy projects. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this during a joint press briefing with the visiting EU leadership within the framework of the inaugural Armenia-EU summit in Yerevan.

The premier noted that he has already documented the historical nature of the event several times, which has revealed new layers of relations and realities. According to him, there was a historical perception that Armenia is in a bad or even terrible geopolitical situation. However, today it is very symbolic to hear from European colleagues that Armenia has an excellent geopolitical position and is on the shortest path connecting the West and the East, Pashinyan noted. According to him, this is a reflection of the changes of the historical period, when, remaining in the same place, the position turned from bad to excellent due to political processes. The position that previously served, or was used to explain all the problems, now serves and will serve to build a sovereign, free, prosperous, and secure country.

As per Pashinyan, this is not the only nuance of the changes: today the EU has adopted a statement calling on businesses to invest in Armenia’s economy. If previously Armenia was considered a “risk zone,” now the EU is calling at the highest level to invest in Armenia, which is a document of historical significance. Such a thing has never been said before by many international colleagues, Pashinyan noted.

The premier said that a very wide range of issues was discussed during the Armenia-EU summit. According to him, the meeting in the summit format stems from the simple reality that the Armenia-EU agenda is so broad that from now on, in fact, it is inevitable and has been formed in a natural way.

There are very major joint projects in the energy sector, which are designed to combine Armenia’s resources and European technology, Pashinyan continued.

Transport connectivity also plays an important role: thanks to the change in the geopolitical situation, Armenia can integrate into the chain of international supplies, rail, and road transportation—in cooperation with its neighbors, the PM noted.

The premier touched also upon Armenia’s European integration process initiated last year, emphasizing that the initiative originated from the public, and political circles joined later, giving the initiative the force of law. Pashinyan emphasized that no country can become an EU member without meeting the respective standards. Therefore, the priority task is to meet these standards, with the assistance of European partners. According to him, when Armenia meets these standards, then two paths will appear. “Either we will be accepted into the EU, which is a matter of a political decision—we do not know yet, maybe the EU will not expand. If we are accepted, we will be happy and joyful. Otherwise, we will again benefit, since we will meet the EU standards, with all the positive results that this entails,” Pashinyan noted.

In conclusion, the Armenian premier once again thanked European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa for their personal contribution to the development of Armenia-EU relations.

“Looking back, the path we [i.e. Armenia] have taken and the results we have achieved seem incredible. It would not have been possible without your personal interest and participation,” Nikol Pashinyan stated.