European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is scheduled to visit Armenia next week for discussions with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, aimed at advancing strategic EU‑Armenia relations after Pashinyan’s recent re‑election, according to sources in Yerevan who spoke to Euronews.
The European Commission voiced its endorsement of Pashinyan just days before the pivotal June 7 elections and unveiled a support package designed to mitigate Russian sanctions that have targeted Armenia’s shift toward a pro‑Western, pro‑EU stance.
In the final days of the campaign, Pashinyan struck a careful balance with Russia, describing Armenia’s EU membership aspirations as “theoretical” at this stage.
During the May high‑level EU‑Armenia summit in Yerevan, von der Leyen reaffirmed the Commission’s firm support for Pashinyan, asserting that “by imposing export restrictions on Armenian goods, Moscow is weaponising economic relations for political pressure.”
The Commission simultaneously announced a financial assistance and practical support package to bolster Armenian agri‑food trade, responding to an economic onslaught by Moscow that restricted imports of various Armenian fruits, vegetables, flowers, fish, wine, brandy and mineral water, and threatened to curtail essential Russian oil and gas supplies.
The EU‑Armenia Task Force on Economic Resilience will convene regularly to oversee and monitor the implementation of these measures, the Commission said.
Armenian Apricots Arrive as Symbolic Gesture
In the announcement made last Friday, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos stated that she will soon travel to Armenia “to strengthen EU‑Armenia cooperation,” emphasizing that “the EU stands firmly with Armenia, a sovereign, democratic and independent country.”
Kos added that the EU support package “will help address immediate economic challenges while opening new opportunities for Armenian businesses to trade with regional and European markets.”
“This is European solidarity in action,” she emphasized.
On Monday, Commissioner Kos announced that Armenia’s Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures, Davit Khudatyan, presented her with “the first symbolic batch of Armenian apricots” ahead of the launch of a so‑called Connectivity Agenda Platform, “where we will take forward our work to better connect Armenia with its neighbours and Europe.”
“This will help Armenian producers diversify their exports and bring more of their high‑quality products to new markets,” Kos said in a post on X.
Days before the elections, Pashinyan sought to ease tensions with Russia, stating that he had discussed with President Vladimir Putin the prospect of a meeting to “resolve all current issues” following the vote.
“We will not engage in a war of words with Russia; we will calmly defend Armenia’s positions,” Pashinyan said in the run‑up to the elections, adding that Yerevan “will not act against Russia’s interests, but neither will we act against our own interests.”
The Armenian premier also clarified that Armenia’s EU membership bid remains “theoretical” at present and that “we will continue to work calmly and steadily, without disputes, within the Eurasian Economic Union, and I am convinced that we still have potential in this direction, which we will use in the near future.”