On 21 February, EU High Representative Federica Mogherini and Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian signed the EU-Armenia Partnership Priorities for 2017-2020, which identify key areas for cooperation and will be a basis for EU assistance to Armenia.
The four main areas of cooperation are: strengthening institutions and good governance; economic development and market opportunities; connectivity, energy efficiency, environment and climate action; and mobility and people-to-people contacts. According to the EU, it has earmarked around €160 million for Armenia for the period 2017-2020.
“The European Union and Armenia are, with these Partnership Priorities, further enhancing our already strong friendship and cooperation,” said Mogherini.
“Combined with our new Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement that we signed only three months ago at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Brussels, we are reinforcing our joint commitment to delivering positive results in areas that really make a difference to people’s lives, both in the EU and in Armenia.”
Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, said: “I welcome the adoption of the Partnership Priorities between the European Union and Armenia, which is a direct result of differentiation in our bilateral relations based on mutual interests.”
“This will pave the way for our cooperation with the aim to bring tangible benefits to the daily lives of Armenian citizens,” Hahn added.
The meeting also gave the High Representative and the Foreign Minister the opportunity to discuss relations between the EU and Armenia more broadly, including plans for the implementation of the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, which was signed in the framework of the Eastern Partnership Summit in Brussels on 24 November, as well as to follow up on the progress on the 20 deliverables for 2020.
