European Commission chief says Armenia’s Velvet Revolution demonstrated commitment to European values

In 2018, your Velvet Revolution demonstrated your country’s commitment to European values and democracy, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said during a joint statement with PM Nikol Pashinyan and European Council President António Costa.

“We have just signed the Connectivity Partnership document, which brings our cooperation to a new level. If I start with the first pillar among these three, it is transport. Very few countries are as uniquely positioned as Armenia. Your ‘Crossroads of Peace’ initiative has the potential to connect Europe with the South Caucasus and Central Asia, and—as you described it—transform Armenia into a key transport hub,” von der Leyen said.

“We are already ready to work on restoring and reconstructing border crossings when the borders with your neighboring countries open. We know how important it is for Armenia to be firmly integrated into regional transport networks.”

According to her, the second key pillar is energy; she stated that Armenia’s rapid development in the solar energy sector is significant.

“The second focus is in the area of security. Armenia must also address hybrid threats and information manipulation. Our European partnership will help counter this,” she said, adding that the first progress report with the EU is “very positive.”

Von der Leyen also noted that the fourth priority area is economic support and social resilience.