European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Yerevan on a working visit for talks with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan focused on strengthening Armenia–EU relations, economic diversification, and expanding trade cooperation. After the meeting, the two leaders reaffirmed the deepening partnership between Armenia and the European Union, which Pashinyan described as Armenia’s “most reliable partner” and closer than ever before.

Pashinyan said Armenia–EU cooperation remains grounded in the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and the Armenia–EU Partnership Agenda, emphasizing shared commitments to democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. He thanked the European Union for its €52 million financial support package and for proposing autonomous trade measures that would significantly expand Armenian exporters' access to the EU market. Once adopted, he said, Armenia will become the first country without either EU candidate status or a free trade agreement with the EU to benefit from such trade preferences. He stressed the importance of implementing the measures as quickly as possible, noting that Armenia's harvest season is already underway.

Von der Leyen acknowledged that Armenia is facing what she described as “significant economic pressure from Russia, bordering on economic violence,” but stressed that the European Union is stepping up its support. She announced an additional €18 million in assistance – the final tranche of the previously announced €52 million package – to help diversify Armenia's trade and strengthen export capacity, including the possible creation of an export promotion agency.

Von der Leyen also announced proposed autonomous trade measures that would liberalize roughly 80% of Armenia's exports to the European Union by eliminating tariffs. The measures would make nearly 99% of Armenia's fresh agricultural products, fruits, and vegetables, along with around 90% of beverage and spirits exports, eligible for tariff-free access to the EU single market. She said the initiative aims to help redirect exports currently bound for Russia toward the European market of 450 million consumers.

Von der Leyen added that the measures mark only the beginning of broader economic cooperation, announcing that a team of EU experts will travel to Armenia in mid-July to work directly with Armenian producers and exporters — helping them seize the new market opportunities and integrate more deeply into European supply chains.

She also highlighted progress in Armenia’s visa liberalization dialogue with the EU, noting that Armenia is currently the only EU partner engaged in an active visa liberalization process — evidence, she said, of the close partnership between the sides. Citing the European Commission's progress report published in April, von der Leyen praised Armenia’s reform efforts and confirmed that further EU assessment missions, including one planned for the autumn, will evaluate progress toward the remaining benchmarks. Visa-free travel, she stressed, can be achieved once all necessary reforms are completed.

Pashinyan recalled that during the parliamentary election campaign he had pledged to complete the visa liberalization process within two years, expressing hope that Armenian citizens would enjoy visa-free travel to the EU by 2029. Reaching that goal, he stressed, depends primarily on Armenia's implementation of the required reforms, adding that the Armenian public had clearly demonstrated its support for closer integration with Europe in the recent parliamentary elections.

Connectivity and infrastructure formed another major pillar of the talks. Pashinyan said Armenia seeks deeper cooperation with the EU in connectivity, energy, digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and innovation. He pointed to the recent adoption of the Armenia–EU Connectivity Partnership and the signing of agreements with the European Commission, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the European Investment Bank (EIB) to finance feasibility studies for three border crossing points and two northern highways. He also named energy storage infrastructure a strategic priority for Armenia’s green transition and stressed the importance of expanding regional electricity interconnections with Türkiye and Azerbaijan under the Crossroads of Peace initiative, as well as Armenia’s participation in the Black Sea submarine electricity and digital cable projects.

Von der Leyen described the initialing of the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace agreement in Washington in August 2025 as a historic milestone, alongside the ongoing normalization process between Armenia and Türkiye. These developments, she said, create the conditions for Armenia to become a strategic regional connectivity hub, and she reaffirmed the EU’s readiness to support that vision. She highlighted the Connectivity for Peace package of up to €200 million — expected to mobilize as much as €2 billion in public and private investment through the newly established regional transport infrastructure platform — and recalled the additional €20 million announced to support confidence-building and peace efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan. These initiatives, she said, will develop border infrastructure, transport networks, border communities, and micro-enterprises, reinforcing both regional connectivity and Armenia’s long-term economic resilience. She concluded by reaffirming that Armenia can continue to count on the European Union as a long-term political and economic partner.