Armenia deepens military ties with Western allies

Abstract

The European Union has announced a milestone decision that involves pumping millions of euros into Armenia’s industries in an attempt to pull the country closer to Western allies and away from its historical ally, Russia.

Following talks last week in Brussels with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the bloc will invest €270 million ($287 million) over the next four years to support the country’s economy. “We will make investments to strengthen Armenia’s economy and society, making them more robust and stable in the face of shocks,” she said at a media briefing on April 5.

Sectors in line for grants include infrastructure projects, renewable energy and small to medium enterprises.

While the newly announced aid does not explicitly include defense and security, experts note that some EU and NATO countries are separately deepening their military partnerships with Yerevan to that end.

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