The ‘More EU in Armenia’ campaign brought together 50 Young European Ambassadors from Armenia, EU countries (Spain, Greece, Germany, Sweden), and the United Kingdom in a week-long journey dedicated to bringing Europe closer to Armenia and strengthening shared connections, fostering dialogue and exchange between young people from EU member states and Armenia.
The ‘More EU in Armenia’ campaign brought together 50 Young European Ambassadors from Armenia, EU countries (Spain, Greece, Germany, Sweden), and the United Kingdom in a week-long journey dedicated to bringing Europe closer to Armenia and strengthening shared connections, fostering dialogue and exchange between young people from EU member states and Armenia.
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16 April marked the final day of the ‘More EU in Armenia’ campaign. The Young European Ambassadors travelled to Aparan on a truly special mission.
They were joined there by EU Ambassador to Armenia Vassilis Maragos, who not only met and inspired local youth in Aparan but also took part in the opening ceremony of a mural dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the YEAs initiative.
Vassilis Maragos told Aravot.am that the partnership between the EU and Armenia was mostly about people-to-people contacts, including through visa liberalisation, investment in human capital and expanding opportunities, especially for youth.
“We don’t wait for things to happen. We engage with the wonderful Armenian young people: we are listening to them, discussing with them, and we work together for more resilience and prosperity. We are also working to expand opportunities for young people,” the Ambassador said. “The network of Young European Ambassadors brings Europe, our message of partnership, and strong engagement to young people in the regions of Armenia. Beautiful Aparan is really a central part of what we are doing.”
As part of the cultural programme for the Aparan event, a performance featuring traditional folk songs and dances was staged, in which the Young European Ambassadors also participated.
During the info session in Aparan Municipality, Young European Ambassadors from Armenia and the EU presented their countries and spoke about the opportunities available to young people.
Another informative session was organised by representatives of the EuroClubs from Gyumri and Oshakan. EuroClubs in Armenia aim at becoming long-term youth platforms, informing the population about various aspects of Armenia-EU cooperation.
The Young European Ambassadors (YEAs) initiative is a non-political, voluntary communication network that connects young people from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, EU Member States, and the United Kingdom. The aim of the network is to raise awareness of EU cooperation with its Eastern Partnership countries, showcase the tangible results of this cooperation, promote political dialogue on various topics, increase the level of civic engagement, and work together for a better future. The initiative was created by the European Union in 2016 and has so far involved more than 2,500 young people from over 30 different countries.
In June, YEAs are marking the 10th anniversary of the network’s establishment. Its representatives believe that over the past ten years, they have succeeded in strengthening cultural ties and expanding opportunities, enhancing the visibility of the EU-Armenia partnership.
Young European Ambassadors spoke to Aravot.am about their motivation and inspiration.
Mireia Brunet is from Barcelona, Spain. She is 23 and joined the initiative six month ago. She studies international security at Sciences Po university, in Paris. She decided to join the network because she really likes communicating: “I believe it is very important that this initiative helps to raise awareness of the Eastern Partnership within the EU and of the EU in the Eastern Partnership countries. This network gives you the opportunity to visit different places and get to know other young people in person, as well as meet other youth ambassadors.”
We asked Mireia what everyday life is like for a participant in the YEAs programme. She answered: “I believe that in everyday life, cooperation is key, because we carry out projects together. We talk to one another, discuss what we can do, the challenges we face, and how to improve the situation in our countries. That is why I believe this is the very communication and community that we are building together.”
Tsovik Sargsyan is a member of the Armenian Council of Young European Ambassadors initiative, based in Yerevan. She joined the initiative in 2022, while she was still at school. We asked her to briefly describe, in a single sentence, what she considered to be the most important thing she had gained from this initiative. She responded: “The most important things are the experience and communication skills I have gained. We collaborate and communicate not only at the local level, but also on international platforms. Our network operates in Armenia, in other Eastern partner countries, across the EU and the United Kingdom. This is the largest network I have been part of. It offers me the opportunity to speak to high-level officials and raise youth-related issues, make young people’s voices heard․”
Tsovik Sargsyan also noted that one of the key advantages of the network is the opportunity to become familiar with EU institutions and European values: “Young people are the driving force behind any society, as they are not yet constrained by stereotypes and are in the process of forming their own world view. It is vital that we tell them about the EU’s values and provide them with accurate information about the EU.”
She added that the network’s strength lies in the fact that, regardless of whether they are from Armenia or another country, all YEAs share the same values: “Even if we are geographically far apart, our values are very close.”
Tsovik encourages young people to be bold, to make the most of every opportunity and step outside their comfort zone.
Gohar Sahakyan in from Aparan, and joined the initiative in 2023. She is the assistant to the head of the Aparan community for youth affairs. After graduating from university, she decided that she wanted to live and work in her hometown. Over time, she realised the need to unite local young people and use their potential for community development, which led to her founding the ‘Aparan Youth Alliance’ in 2021.
According to Gohar Sahakyan, although the EU carries out significant activities in Armenia, awareness of these opportunities – especially among young people – is still limited. “As a Young European Ambassador, I decided to promote the EU in the villages of my community by organising various events, info sessions, and visits. It is very motivating for our young people when they can interact with their peers abroad and also meet ambassadors from different countries. This also serves as an additional incentive for them to continue their professional development,” she said.
Gohar is confident that the Young European Ambassadors initiative not only provides opportunities for young people from different countries to communicate and discuss such matters, but also helps them to develop soft skills.
“I speak from my own experience. Today, there is a pressing need to develop interpersonal skills, such as confident public speaking. This initiative provides exactly that opportunity,” concludes Gohar.
Markos Rokos is from Greece. He has just finished his degree in International European affairs. Markos joined the initiative three years ago, when he was 20, because he truly values the work that the EU does. He is inspired by the visit to Armenia.
“This is a great opportunity to cooperate with the youth from Eastern neighbourhood like Armenia. This initiative gives us an opportunity of meeting incredible people, we all motivate each other. We came to speak about the opportunities that Armenian youth have within EU like the Erasmus programme,” Markos Rokos said. “This exchange doesn’t only go one way but both ways in Armenia, young people are becoming active part of their society. But there is always room for growth and that’s why we are here to spread those new opportunities.”
Tatev Harutyunyan
This article was produced in the framework of the ‘EU NEIGHBOURS east’ programme. The views expressed are solely those of the author of the article․
