The European Union is ready to support Armenia as the country moves closer to the bloc, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said during a briefing at the European Parliament.

Kos said the EU’s approach to its pre-accession process was designed to give candidate countries a clear signal that Brussels was prepared to match their progress with its own commitments.

“In this pre-accession review we don’t speak about special packages of support. It is a big roadmap for us inside the European Union to get ready and to give a signal to the candidate countries that we are ready, that if they deliver, we are delivering too,” she said.

“And we are also delivering for Armenia,” Kos added, noting that Armenia is among the countries in her portfolio as the commissioner responsible for the Eastern Partnership.

“The country is really moving towards the European Union,” she said.

Kos highlighted the EU’s cooperation with Armenia on visa liberalisation, noting that Armenia is currently the only country with which the bloc is negotiating such a process.

She also pointed to EU assistance to Armenia in diversifying its trade, particularly following restrictions on Armenian exports to Russia.

“We are helping a lot because Russia has prohibited imports from your country,” Kos said.

With the support of EU member states and the European Parliament, the bloc has adopted Autonomous Trade Measures allowing Armenia to export around 80% of its products to the EU without customs duties, she said.

Kos also pointed to a separate package aimed at supporting Armenia’s economic development.

“And of course there is a special package for the economic development in the country,” she said.