The European Union (EU) has welcomed the events and meetings held in Washington on August 8, and since then, in all meetings and public events, it has expressed its readiness to support these initiatives and communications in this region, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Vassilis Maragos, told reporters.

Thus, the EU is ready to use its tools not only in the context of the project, but also within the framework of Armenia’s Crossroads of Peace initiative, which the EU welcomed two years ago. The EU has always and consistently supported peace in this region, and it is very happy that peace is coming, Maragos said.

There are many details that need to be clarified, but the EU is in Armenia as a reliable partner of the country, the Armenian people, and the Armenian government, to support them in these efforts, he added.

As for the 2.6 or 2.5 billion euro assistance, this is indeed a very important commitment that the EU undertook at the beginning of 2021. In mid-July, there was also a summit and a leaders’ meeting. Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan visited Brussels and met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa. During that meeting, they announced that the investments being implemented in Armenia would reach 2.5 billion euros. And these are projects that have either already been carried out or are currently underway, Maragos said.

All of these are investments they are implementing from the EU budget, from loans taken by the Armenian government, as well as from other partners within the framework of the Team Europe program.

Also,  there are investments for modernizing the electricity connection between Armenia and Georgia, which is very important for opening Armenia’s electricity market and implementing more green energy initiatives and investments in the country, the EU ambassador stated.

He said that Armenia has great potential, for example in electricity generation through photovoltaic panels, and that the complete opening of the region — which they hope will occur in the context of the current peace process — will create many new opportunities. And these are not only business opportunities; they are opportunities for the Armenian people, the Armenian economy, and for Armenian workers and citizens to have increasingly qualified employment. Thus, this is part of their partnership.

The EU is not in Armenia just to provide support; it is here to stand shoulder to shoulder with its people, to help the country become more resilient, more independent, and more sovereign.

The EU Monitoring Mission in Armenia has provided great assistance, and has demonstrated the EU’s commitment to peace in the region. And this is yet another sign of the solidarity of the European people toward Armenia, the EU ambassador emphasized.

In response to a question about whether the EU is ready to participate in the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project, Maragos replied that the EU is ready to participate in all infrastructure projects being implemented in this region, and it is in contact with the government of Armenia as well as other partners.

Maragos  said last week he was in Brussels to participate in the Global Gateway Forum. The second forum that has taken place with many leaders from around the world, including Prime Minister Pashinyan, and they actually discussed how connectivity between Europe, Central Asia, and China will develop in the next period. This will include the entire region, including Armenia, he added

As for possible timelines or deadlines for these projects, the EU ambassador noted that as always, this depends greatly on the maturity of the projects. They are in contact with all partners in the region, including the government of Armenia, as well as other partners ready to support Armenia. And the EU will continue to work together with Armenia and the companies operating in the country to see how they can implement and also help Armenia in capacity development, which will also be very necessary to ensure greater movement — including for new goods and value chains that will pass through the country, Vassilis Maragos said.