Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus fully supports further deepening cooperation between the European Union and Armenia, European affairs deputy minister Marilena Raouna said. She spoke at the European Parliament’s plenary on strengthening Armenia’s democratic resilience on Tuesday.
Support for closer EU-Armenia ties
Raouna said the cooperation is based on shared values and a vision for a stable, democratic and prosperous Armenia and a stable South Caucasus. She described democratic resilience as a core commitment of the EU toward both member states and neighbouring countries.
Recent progress and upcoming summit
Raouna said EU-Armenia relations have made significant progress in the past two years since the European Council’s call to strengthen relations in all dimensions, laying the foundation for new cooperation. She said the first EU-Armenia summit will be held next week in Yerevan.
Meetings and strategic agenda
Raouna said the summit sends a strong message on Armenia’s importance as a regional partner of the EU, with President Nikos Christodoulides scheduled to meet Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to reaffirm the EU’s commitment to bilateral cooperation. She highlighted the EU-Armenia strategic agenda as a clear roadmap for cooperation and cited investments of approximately €270 million through the resilience and development plan to strengthen Armenia’s resilience amid external pressures.
Disinformation concerns and elections
Raouna warned that disinformation campaigns can undermine trust in democratic institutions and said Armenia’s parliamentary elections on June 7 have the potential to be a defining moment for the country. She said that in an increasingly complex geopolitical environment, strengthening partnerships with countries that share the same values remains a key priority.
How do you assess the role of EU support in strengthening Armenia’s democratic resilience ahead of the June 7 elections?