Keynote speech by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Regional Seminar of the European Union Ambassadors to the countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia

20 May, 2025

On May 20, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan delivered a keynote speech at the opening of the regional gathering of the European Union Ambassadors to the countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

The Foreign Minister also responded to questions of interest to EU officials.

Minister Mirzoyan’s speech is presented below.

Keynote speech by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Regional Seminar of the European Union Ambassadors to the countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Armenia-EU Relations: Building a Shared Future

I am delighted to welcome you all to Yerevan. The convening of this seminar in Armenia testifies to the growing depth of the Armenia-EU partnership. I trust that your discussions here will be insightful and instrumental in guiding our shared path forward - a path we are increasingly committed to walking together.

This discussion is taking place in a period marked by interesting developments and shifts as well as many uncertainties. I am saying this not only for the dynamic evolution of bilateral Armenia-EU partnership, but taking into account the global and regional tendencies as well as the security dilemmas within the EU.

Here I have a very simple question, the answer to which is simple, but the implications it brings up affects us all, both the EU and our region. Are we living in the same world we used to know last year? Not even speaking about the situation 4-5 years ago. Certainly not. Has the existing security architecture and international order proved to be efficient in addressing the existing and evolving challenges? I believe not. Are there quick, easy solutions to fix the gaps and overcome the turbulence? I believe there are no simple solutions, but through reevaluating and deeper understanding of today’s challenges and hence the priorities, we need to ensure stronger synergy between commitment to the core values, democratic principles and bold solutions.

We are following the security dilemmas and deliberations within the EU, we are closely following the choices the EU is confronted with.

Democracy

4 years ago, in the middle of a hybrid war, Armenia succeeded in having completely free and democratic elections. Saying this, I am not even sure that back then we all had the full understanding what form the hybrid war could take on the ground and what the real scales of irregular interference in democratic processes could be. Now, as we follow the election process in Europe, we acknowledge that the phenomenon of hybrid wars has become more evident.

So, to protect the democracy in Armenia we relied on democracy itself and the mechanisms it provides: first and foremost, free elections and rule of law. Since then, we have not deviated from this path. Even amid existential challenges, Armenia has remained steadfast in its democratic trajectory. This trajectory has been reflected in the Government's policies, implementing vast reforms aimed at ensuring independence of judiciary, fight against corruption, stronger protection of human rights. And we do have concrete results. Just a very recent example: Armenia progressed in the ranking of media freedom by Reporters Without Borders by 9 positions and is currently 34th in the world, even ahead of some EU member states.

In addition, in some sense democracy for us has become not only a way of functioning of the state, but one of the main pillars of strengthening the independence and sovereignty of the country.

Diversification

We have also taken bold steps to diversify our partnerships.

In this context, Armenia is actively strengthening its strategic relations with the United States. In January, we signed the comprehensive Strategic Partnership Charter with the United States, marking a historic milestone in our collaboration — a relationship we aim to enhance under the new U.S. administration, as evidenced by ongoing constructive engagements of high-level officials.

It is noteworthy that we have been also engaging towards building strategic partnerships with the member states of the EU. I can proudly mention the results we achieved with the Netherlands through the signing of the Declaration on the Strategic Partnership between our countries.

We have established Strategic Dialogue with the UK, as an opportunity to mark the strong cooperation and friendship between our two democracies.

As demonstrated through the most recent high-level exchanges, we see huge potential in fostering cooperation in the Armenia-Nordic-Baltic countries, as well-established democracies and finest example of regional cooperation.

While we have build solid partnership through the institutional architecture of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) - the cornerstone document for our bilateral cooperation, now we are finalizing the new Armenia-EU Partnership Agenda, a forward-looking document that will elevate our cooperation through strategic priorities and deliverables. It builds on the strong partnership that we have developed during recent years across sectors from justice reform to economic development, connectivity, and energy.

In 2024, we achieved yet another important milestone when Armenia became the only non-candidate country to receive assistance under the “Resilience and Growth” plan. While we are engaged in discussions on the ways to enhance the effectiveness of the reforms being implemented under this plan, we count on the EU's guidance and support to use the maximum potential therein.

While last year we reached the opening of the VLD, now we await the Visa Liberalization Action Plan, which will lay out clear benchmarks. Once these are met, our citizens can look forward to visa-free travel - a long-anticipated development that will enhance mobility and foster mutual understanding. And here I want to be very frank: obviously, this is one of the main areas where the citizens can be closer to the EU, feel the advantages of being part of the European family, and vice versa.

During the high-level meeting in Tirana last week European Council President Costa and Commission President von der Leyen invited Prime Minister Pashinyan to visit Brussels to look into ways how we can further enrich the agenda. We must seek creative solutions, moving beyond conventional approaches. These, for example, could include measures such as enabling the use of Autonomous Trade Measures, equipping Armenia with tools to counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) and bolster our overall resilience against hybrid threats, and other practical steps.

This is fully in line with the statement made by the Prime Minister of Armenia in the European Parliament in October 2023: “The Republic of Armenia is ready to be closer to the European Union, as much as the European Union considers it possible.” This approach fully corresponds with the aspirations of the citizens of Armenia which were reflected in the law "On the Launch of Armenia's EU Accession Process," adopted by Armenia's National Assembly less than two months ago. This is not merely a policy choice - it is a national aspiration, a testament to Armenian citizens' confidence in a European future and a guiding principle for our government.

Referring to other pillars of Armenia-EU cooperation, we acknowledge the importance of engagement on security related issues, something that would have been considered unimaginable several years ago. As of now, the European Union has been involved in Armenia's security agenda since the deployment of the EU Monitoring Mission in Armenia, and we commend the extension of the Mission’s mandate. Despite having a tangible outcome in the delimitation process with Azerbaijan last year, ceasefire violations regrettably persist, highlighting the mission’s vital role in refuting the false accusations, maintaining the predictability and stability on the ground. Hence the targeted and principled response to ceasefire violations is extremely important in the current volatile situation.

While the EU's decision to support Armenia through the European Peace Facility marked a significant milestone last year, we have already requested the continuation of EPF support in 2025. I want to reassure you that this assistance is not only a clear demonstration of the EU’s political will to expand and deepen our partnership, but also strengthens Armenia's resilience in challenging times. While we continue working with all member states, we count on our partners to ensure that such assistance remains predictable and free from unrelated considerations.

Continuing the topic on security diversification, I would like to bring to your attention the fact that Armenia has reduced its dependence on defense imports from one source by up to 95%. In parallel, our government has been able to more independently carry out border control as well as explore alternatives to foster energy independence, including in the field of nuclear energy and renewables.

Aimed at ensuring a more secure and predictable environment for the country, the Government of Armenia decided in favour of stronger engagement in international legal mechanisms, and as you are well aware of the ratification by Armenia of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Peace / neighbourhood

While we continue the efforts to build and enhance like-minded partnerships with a broad geography, our priority remains promotion of a peaceful and prosperous environment around Armenia, in our immediate neighborhood.

Peace has no alternative for my country. Our Government remains firmly dedicated to advancing sustainable peace and prosperity in the South Caucasus.

We steadfastly pursue a comprehensive and institutionalized peace with Azerbaijan. As you are aware, Armenia and Azerbaijan have announced that the draft text of the Peace Treaty has been finalized and Armenia is ready to sign and ratify this document without further delay. While it is not yet clear whether Azerbaijan has sincere concerns or is artificially delaying the process, the fact is that the draft Peace Treaty agreed upon by both of us has not yet been signed. If the concerns are sincere, for example on the Constitutional issue, then without going into details I can reassure you that the clearest and most direct way to address all the concerns of the Parties is the signing of the agreement and its ratification by the Parliament after the positive conclusion of the Constitutional Court of Armenia.

In any case, we call upon our European partners to intensify their support for this process. Hence, we expect our EU partners to consistently underline the need for the prompt signing of the peace agreement with Armenia, both in their direct engagements with Baku and in their public statements and communications.

Complementary to our peace efforts, we are actively advancing the unblocking of the communications in our region within the principles enshrined in the "Crossroads of Peace" project. The initiative proposes that all transport and connectivity infrastructure in the South Caucasus - whether roads, railways, energy, or communications lines - function under the sovereignty and national jurisdiction of the states they pass, and in accordance with principles of reciprocity and equality.

We see the “Crossroads of Peace” as fully compatible with the EU's Global Gateway and the Middle Corridor, which increasingly emphasize connectivity that is transparent, secure, and respectful of sovereignty. Armenia's participation in these frameworks is both timely and necessary. Now is the time to anchor Armenia more deeply and strategically into Europe's evolving connectivity vision - as a committed, predictable, democratic, and principled partner at the heart of a region undergoing profound transformation.

With this mind, we are actively exploring multimodal corridors connecting the Black Sea with the Caspian Sea, extending eastward toward Central Asia's growing markets and energy resources. We welcome the EU's increased engagement with Central Asia and encourage synergies between its South Caucasus and Central Asia strategies. As the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, rightly noted: “...the opening of the borders of Armenia with Türkiye and Azerbaijan is going to be a game changer. And it will bring Europe and Central Asia closer together like never before.” Armenia stands ready to serve as a constructive link between these regions, fostering not only infrastructure ties but also digital, energy, and regulatory interoperability.

Armenia’s commitment to peace and stability in the region is further demonstrated by the steps our country has taken in the normalization process with Türkiye. High-level dialogue continues, including meetings between the Prime Minister of Armenia and the Turkish President, as well as my discussions with the country’s Foreign Minister. We firmly believe that full normalization — establishing diplomatic relations and opening borders — would unlock significant opportunities for both our countries and the wider region.

I spoke about normalization of relations with Azerbaijan and Türkiye, but we do have established and intense cooperation with the other two neighbors Georgia and Iran.

Our cooperation with Iran adds strategic depth: through the Persian Gulf–Black Sea corridor, we can contribute to broader regional connectivity linking Central Asia and the South Caucasus to the GCC countries and beyond.

In conclusion

We stand at a pivotal moment. Armenia has been making irreversible choices - toward democracy, toward peace, toward Europe. We trust that these decisive steps will be met with equally bold and strategic engagement from our European partners, solidifying a truly reciprocal and transformative partnership. In doing so, we seek not only support but partnership, not only encouragement but sustained engagement. Together, we can demonstrate that in an increasingly fragmented world, principled, like-minded partnerships still matter.

Let us build on our shared values and take bold, creative steps together - for the stability, resilience, and prosperity of our region and beyond. Thank you.

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