European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will travel to Armenia next week for talks with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to further develop strategic EU-Armenia relations following Pashinyan’s recent re-election, sources in Yerevan with knowledge of the matter confirmed to Euronews on Tuesday.
The European Commission endorsed Pashinyan just days before the crucial elections on 7 June and announced a support package to counter the Russian onslaught of sanctions following Yerevan’s cautious pro-Western, pro-EU turn.
Pashinyan carefully balanced Armenia’s approach to Russia in the last days of the election campaign, stating that Armenia’s EU membership bid at the moment is “theoretical.”
In a statement at the time, following the high-level EU-Armenia summit in Yerevan in May, von der Leyen said the European Commission was “standing firmly” in its backing of Pashinyan and that “by extending export restrictions on Armenian products, Moscow is weaponising economic relations for political pressure.”
The EC announced at the time a support package of financial assistance and practical measures to support Armenian agri-food trade after Moscow unleashed an economic onslaught, restricting imports of various Armenian fruits, vegetables, flowers, and fish products, as well as wine, brandy and mineral water, while also threatening to cut critical Russian oil and gas supplies to Armenia.
