Nikol Pashinian and Ursula von der Leyen
According to RBC, the summit ended with a 44-point declaration. In it, the sides called the meeting a “historic milestone” and in fact formalized a new stage of relations – with an emphasis on economy, security and post-peace integration.
Armenia was represented by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. On behalf of the EU, European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen participated in the talks.
Money, transportation and “visa-free travel”
The key practical outcome is money and investment. The EU confirmed the program of support for reforms for 270 million euros until 2027. At the same time, Brussels expects to mobilize up to 2.5 billion euros of investment through the Global Gateway initiative, primarily in transport, energy and digital infrastructure.
A separate block is energy and transportation. It is about Armenia’s inclusion in regional transportation routes, including the Trans-Caspian Corridor, development of the energy system and connection to the European digital economy.
Advancement towards a visa-free regime was another notable outcome. The European Commission assessed Yerevan’s progress as “advanced” in areas such as document security, border management and migration.
The EU is also strengthening its security presence. Cooperation with European institutions is expanding, and the EU mission in Armenia will continue to work to counter cyberattacks, disinformation and other threats.
The foreign policy part of the declaration records the positions of the parties on the region. The EU supported the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the normalization of relations with Turkey. Separately, the EU expressed concern about the war in Ukraine and reaffirmed its support for its territorial integrity.
The summit took place against the backdrop of a broad diplomatic agenda: the European Political Community also met in Yerevan, and French President Emmanuel Macron arrived for a visit.
Armenia did not receive formal candidate status. But the main outcome was political: the EU publicly recognized its course of rapprochement and readiness to move forward – through money, projects and gradual integration.
How relations between Yerevan and Brussels developed
Since 2024, the Armenian authorities have been talking about plans to make the country a member of the European Union, and in April 2025 a law was adopted in the republic, where this aspiration is fixed, RBC reports. Its text consists of one sentence: “The Republic of Armenia, striving to develop democratic institutions, improve the welfare of society, strengthen security, stability and the rule of law, announces the beginning of the process of accession of the Republic of Armenia to the European Union”. The summit declaration says that Brussels “recognizes the European aspirations of the Armenian people”, which are enshrined in the law adopted in Armenia. Earlier, the EU did not publicly react to it.
Today theComprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement(CEPA) is the basis of Armenia’s relations with the European Union; it was signed in 1996 in Luxembourg and entered into force in 1999. Since 2004, Armenia has been participating in theEuropean NeighbourhoodPolicy (ENP), a program of cooperation between the EU and other countries, which should promote stability and security in the regions to the south and east of the Union. It has three key areas: economic development for stabilization, security, free migration and mobility.
In 2009, within the framework of ENP, the EU launched the Eastern Partnership program to strengthen relations with six republics of the former Soviet Union: besides Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine participate in it. By 2022 – Belarus. Yerevan and Brussels have been discussing an association agreement that would facilitate the country’s access to the European market, but after Armenia joined the EAEU in 2015, an association agreement became impossible.
In 2017, Brussels and Yerevan signed theComprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) – it entered into force in 2021. In 2024, the partners began negotiations on a visa-free regime.
