European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Yerevan on a working visit. She was welcomed at Zvartnots International Airport by Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan.

As part of the visit, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are scheduled to hold a meeting.

Following the meeting, the prime minister and the European Commission president will make statements and answer questions from media representatives.

The European Union is one of Armenia’s most reliable partners, and Armenia-EU relations are closer today than ever before.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made the remarks during a joint press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the Government headquarters.

Pashinyan said he was pleased to welcome the President of the European Commission to Armenia for the second time this year.

“Armenia-EU cooperation is based on the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement and the Armenia-EU Partnership Agenda, which are founded on the shared values of democracy, the rule of law, and the protection of human rights,” he said.

Pashinyan noted that during their bilateral meeting, the sides discussed the diversification of Armenia’s economy and various mechanisms through which the European Union could support those efforts.

The prime minister thanked the European Union for providing €52 million in budget support to Armenia, as well as for proposing autonomous trade measures for Armenian products in EU member states.

“Once this decision enters into force, Armenia will become the first country that neither has EU candidate status nor a free trade agreement with the European Union to benefit from this instrument,” Pashinyan said.

He added that the Armenian side hopes to complete the decision-making process as quickly as possible through active cooperation with the European Union and its member states, taking into account that the harvest season has already begun in Armenia.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Armenia on the morning of July 2 on a working visit. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan welcomed the President of the European Commission at the Government headquarters.

The elections held in Armenia once again demonstrated the strength of the country’s democracy. The spirit of the Velvet Revolution, led by Nikol Pashinyan in 2018, is alive and thriving.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made the remarks during a joint press conference with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

“Armenia continues on its path toward democracy, reforms, peace, and closer cooperation with the European Union. On June 7, the people of Armenia made their choice clear by voting for democracy, the rule of law, reforms, and peace, and by choosing an open and inclusive partnership with the European Union. We must now turn those aspirations into tangible results. You can count on our support in that effort,” the President of the European Commission said.

According to the results of Armenia’s parliamentary elections held on June 7, three political forces will be represented in the National Assembly. The ruling Civil Contract party will hold 64 seats, the Strong Armenia alliance will have 29 seats, and the Armenia alliance will hold 12 seats.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has commented on the European Union’s visa liberalization process for Armenia, emphasizing that the country is working diligently and has made significant progress.

Von der Leyen addressed the issue during a joint press conference with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan, responding to a question about the possible timeline for achieving visa-free travel with the European Union.

“Armenia is the only partner currently engaged in an active visa liberalization dialogue with the European Union. This in itself demonstrates the level of our partnership. In April, we published the Visa Liberalization Action Plan progress report. We know that you are committed to this agenda, and we thank you for that. It is very impressive to see the progress that has been made, and I know how important this is for Armenia. New assessment missions will follow, including one this autumn, to evaluate progress and the processes related to the remaining benchmarks,” von der Leyen said.

She added that visa liberalization is a process that can be completed once the required reforms have been implemented.

“You are on the right track. I know you are working very hard on this. Once all the necessary requirements have been met, we can move to a visa-free regime. Some reforms are still needed, but once they are completed, you will cross the finish line,” the President of the European Commission said.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan recalled that during the election campaign he had stated that the Armenian government aims to complete the process within two years. He expressed hope that Armenia would have a visa-free regime with the European Union by 2029.

“Much depends on us, and in many cases the questions should not be directed to the European Union but to ourselves – how prepared we are and how effectively we implement the reform agenda. One thing is clear: the people of Armenia are waiting for this decision, and they voted in favor of it in the elections. Of course, we cannot afford to miss this opportunity, and I hope we will act quickly and effectively to achieve this goal within the planned timeframe,” Pashinyan said.

Armenia is interested in deepening cooperation with the European Union in the areas of connectivity, energy, and high technologies.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made the remarks during a joint press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

According to Pashinyan, Armenia and the European Union have made significant progress in the field of connectivity in recent months.

“A clear example of this is the adoption of the Joint Statement on the Armenia-EU Connectivity Partnership at the Armenia-EU Summit, as well as the signing in Brussels last week, on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting of the Connectivity Agenda Platform, of a Letter of Intent and a Confirmation Letter between Armenia and the European Commission, as well as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank, on feasibility studies for three Armenian border crossing points and two northern highways,” Pashinyan said.

He noted that one of Armenia’s strategically important projects in the energy sector is the construction of energy storage facilities, which will enable more efficient use of electricity generated from renewable energy sources.

“We also discussed the approval and allocation of European Union support for this initiative,” he said.

Referring to the Crossroads of Peace initiative, Pashinyan stressed the importance of expanding energy connectivity, including the construction of power transmission lines and interconnectors with Türkiye and Azerbaijan.

“This can contribute both to strengthening energy security and to achieving green transition goals,” the prime minister said.

He added that Armenia is also interested in closer cooperation with the European Union in digital technologies, artificial intelligence, high technologies, and innovation, while creating an environment that encourages greater European private investment.

“In this context, I also attach importance to Armenia’s participation in the Black Sea submarine electricity and digital cable projects,” Pashinyan said.

Pashinyan thanked the European Union for its continued support for Armenia’s democratic institutions, economic resilience, and the deepening of bilateral cooperation for the benefit of the peoples and in support of further strengthening Armenia-EU relations.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has described the initialing of the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement in Washington in August 2025 as a historic event.

Von der Leyen made the remarks during a joint press conference with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan.

“The initialing of the peace agreement last year was a historic event – one of the most important steps this region has taken in decades. The same applies to the ongoing normalization of relations with Türkiye. These decisions required political courage and leadership, and their benefits will be remarkable. Open borders will transform Armenia’s economic future and anchor the country at one of the world’s strategically important crossroads. That is why we are ready to work together to turn this vision into reality,” the President of the European Commission said.

Speaking about connectivity initiatives in the South Caucasus, von der Leyen referred to the Connectivity for Peace Package of up to €200 million, which is being implemented through the recently launched regional transport infrastructure platform and has the potential to mobilize up to €2 billion in public and private investment.

She also recalled that on July 1, in Baku, she had announced an additional €20 million to support efforts to promote peace between the peoples of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

According to von der Leyen, these support programs will enable Armenia to continue implementing ongoing projects, including border crossing points and road infrastructure.

“We are building real infrastructure for peace. At the same time, we are building bridges between democracies. We also want to support the potential of Armenia’s border communities and micro-enterprises,” she said.

Von der Leyen also stated that Armenia can count on the European Union.

The President of the European Commission arrived in Armenia on the morning of July 2 on a working visit. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan welcomed Ursula von der Leyen at the Government headquarters.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced in Yerevan that Armenia will soon receive €18 million to strengthen and diversify its trade.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on July 2, von der Leyen said that although Armenia continues to face significant economic pressure from Russia, it can be confident that when the European Union’s partners come under pressure, the EU responds with practical support.

“This funding could, for example, help establish an export promotion agency to strengthen the export capacity of Armenian businesses. The €18 million is the final component of the €52 million support package that we discussed with the prime minister during our phone conversation in early June. We are also taking another step by proposing EU autonomous trade measures (ATMs). Under this proposal, 80% of Armenia’s exports to the European Union will be liberalized. This will allow us to redirect products that are currently heavily dependent on the Russian market to the European single market, with its 450 million consumers. In particular, the single market will be opened to 99% of Armenia’s fresh agricultural products, which have until now been exported to Russia. It will also open the door to more than 90% of Armenian beverages and spirits entering the EU single market,” the President of the European Commission said.

Von der Leyen recalled that in recent months, Europeans have seen increasing volumes of Armenian flowers reaching the EU market, describing this as a powerful symbol of a new chapter in the economic partnership between Armenia and the European Union.

“This is only the beginning. These new measures will create opportunities for rapid diversification. In mid-July, we will send experts to Armenia to work directly with your producers, businesses, and exporters, helping them take full advantage of all the opportunities offered by this privileged partnership with the European Union,” she said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Armenia on the morning of July 2 on a working visit. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan welcomed the President of the European Commission at the Government headquarters.

Armenia’s fuel market has become more resilient as a result of the elimination of monopolies and an increase in the number of importers, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said, commenting on potential supply risks and price fluctuations in the fuel market.

Asked whether the government had assessed possible risks to gasoline and diesel supplies in light of recent restrictions in Russia’s fuel market and Armenia’s heavy reliance on Russian imports, Pashinyan said changes introduced to Armenia’s fuel market in recent years had reduced dependence on a limited number of suppliers. “Independence means replacing dependence on a few with dependence on many,” the prime minister said.

He stressed that, despite global developments, the Armenian fuel market has not experienced the kind of disruptions seen in the past.

“In the past, whenever someone sneezed, Armenia’s fuel market would be shaken. We prepared for this long ago by eliminating monopolies,” Pashinyan said.

According to the prime minister, dozens of companies are now importing gasoline into Armenia, with new investments and new fuel station networks entering the market, while existing networks continue to operate.

Pashinyan expressed confidence that market mechanisms would make it possible to regulate the situation. 

At the same time, he noted that any increase in fuel prices would be driven by global developments.

“Price increases are linked to the global situation. We cannot insulate ourselves from the global impact on fuel prices,” Pashinyan said.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said it is difficult to envisage resolving the country’s justice system problems without adopting a new Constitution.

Speaking at a briefing with reporters, Pashinyan was commenting on his earlier statement that justice and the judicial system in Armenia are accessible only to the elite.

Asked what tools the government intends to use to address the issue, given that Pashinyan’s political team has been in power for eight years, the prime minister said the legislative and executive branches cannot assume the role of the judiciary because of the constitutional principle of the separation of powers. 

“It is difficult for me to imagine solving these problems without a new Constitution. The new Constitution should introduce the institution of trial by jury,” Pashinyan said.

He added that all sitting judges should be granted the status of acting judges while undergoing a comprehensive integrity vetting process. 

“Those who fail the integrity screening simply should not be reappointed,” the prime minister said. 

According to Pashinyan, the judiciary is currently protected by the Constitution, limiting the ability of the executive and legislative branches to intervene. He noted that citizens primarily direct their dissatisfaction with the justice system at him, as public perception often associates responsibility with the head of government. 

Pashinyan argued that the judiciary remains Armenia’s least developed institution because the 2018 revolution had the least impact on that system. 

“The judiciary is the least developed of our institutions because the revolution had the least impact there, including due to constitutional constraints,” he said.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has congratulated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his party’s victory in the parliamentary elections.

According to a message released by the Armenian Prime Minister’s Office, Lula said:

“On behalf of the Government and the people of Brazil, and on my own behalf, I extend my warmest congratulations on your reappointment as Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia.

Brazil attaches great importance to the historic ties of friendship and cooperation that unite our countries. I reaffirm my readiness to work with Your Excellency to deepen our political dialogue, expand bilateral cooperation and advance initiatives of mutual interest for the benefit of our two peoples.

Brazil’s vibrant Armenian community serves as a valuable bridge between our countries, strengthening the human, cultural and economic ties that bring us closer together.

Its presence enriches the diversity of Brazilian society and further reinforces the bonds of friendship between our peoples.”