14 minute read
The European Union is ready to contribute to the normalization of Armenia-Türkiye relations, the development of business ties between the two countries, and the development of transport and energy connectivity, Ambassador Vassilis Maragos, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, said at the opening of the Armenia-Türkiye Business Forum in Yerevan.
“It is also a great pleasure for me to participate in this event. I would like to reassure, in particular, our Turkish friends of the great support the European Union provides for business-to-business ties, the normalization of relations between Türkiye and Armenia, as well as new connectivity projects and business contacts.
We believe that peace and normalization of relations in this region, and indeed in Europe, can be beneficial for everyone, bringing new investments, stability and benefits for all. This is actually the message of European integration. This is what Europe did after World War II. Türkiye has been participating in European integration for a long time. We know its benefits, we know how much we can gain when we work together in a spirit of mutual understanding, and we are particularly excited and pleased to see this meeting taking place.
The meeting itself, your coming to Armenia, is a very good signal from both sides of the border, and it is also a very good signal to Brussels. I will be very pleased to convey this message to my colleagues and the EU leadership, because what you are doing here now is exactly that. So, thank you very much for your openness, and I look forward to today’s meetings, as well as to what comes next.
What comes next will be business opportunities, many opportunities, and something that is even more important: people will get to know each other. Because what unites us is greater than what divides us. I think this is really important. On both sides, there are people who have invested for a long time in this normalization, this context and better mutual understanding. These people have played a major role.
Thank you very much for being committed, but also consistent and persistent on this issue,” Maragos said.
The Head of the EU Delegation also briefed participants of the Armenia-Türkiye Business Forum on recent developments in EU-Armenia relations, highlighting support for the private sector and regional connectivity.
“Now, when we talk about what we are doing here and what we are doing beyond this program, I would particularly like to inform our Turkish friends about some new developments in the relations between the European Union and Armenia. We recently had a summit, which was very important. Armenia also hosted the meeting of the European Political Community, which is a larger gathering than the European Union, but is co-hosted by partner countries, and the President of the European Council was also there. It was a very successful meeting.
After that, we had the EU-Armenia summit, then there were elections in Armenia, and afterwards there was an additional visit by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. During that visit, we first of all agreed on a very ambitious and interesting, I should say comprehensive, agenda for EU-Armenia relations,” the ambassador said.
According to him, one of the main areas of the EU-Armenia cooperation agenda is support for the private sector. The European Union is preparing to launch a call for proposals for investment projects involving the private sectors of Armenia and Europe.
“On this, I mainly want to emphasize two key elements. The first is support for the private sector. We will launch a call for proposals for investments by the private sectors of Armenia and Europe. I understand that perhaps we should also have included Türkiye in the expo, but I am sure that next time we can think about it.
I am also sure that perhaps our Armenian friends can submit proposals under this call. It is still open. It opened on May 5, at the time of the first summit, and will remain open for one year. Investment proposals can be submitted, and we can support them through various European Union instruments.
The European Union has been supporting Armenia’s private sector with concessional loans for quite a long time. Last year alone, we provided more than €200 million. We helped create more than 20,000 jobs. This is important. This is stability, and it is also based on the very strong spirit of entrepreneurship that we see here,” Maragos said.
According to the Head of the EU Delegation, the second major area of cooperation is connectivity. The European Union is working in this area with Türkiye, Azerbaijan, the countries of Central Asia and other European partners, considering the development of both Black Sea and overland connectivity.
“The second major area I would like to focus on is our support for connectivity. This is also the area where we are working with Turkish partners, as well as with our partner Azerbaijan in the region, Central Asia, but also with partners of the European Union. Here, connectivity concerns both the Black Sea and overland connections.
You are aware of and familiar with the TRIPP project, which is one of the Armenian-American initiatives and is also supported within this process. But the European Union’s support will be broader than that, and at the summit we announced that we are going to support Armenia in constructing three new border crossing points. One of them is Margara, which we can help modernize.
We are now cooperating with various financial partners. We are working with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on the rehabilitation of the Akhurik crossing point, which is in the direction of Kars in Türkiye. We also have another route toward Nakhchivan through Yeraskh, which is here on the Armenian side. This is where we are now focusing our attention.
The European Union has been supporting Armenia’s infrastructure and connectivity for quite a long time. It has supported the North-South infrastructure, and I think there is also great potential here for the participation of businesses, other partners and other strategic partners of the European Union,” the ambassador said.
Maragos emphasized that the development of regional connectivity is not limited to transport infrastructure. Potential areas of cooperation also include energy, electricity exchanges, renewable energy, modernization of power grids and the development of energy storage systems.
Addressing trade relations, Maragos recalled the temporary measures proposed by the European Commission to provide preferential access to the EU market for Armenian products. He emphasized that EU member states approved the proposal without changes on September 2, and approval by the European Parliament is expected in the coming days.
“I would also like to emphasize how much support the European Union provides to Armenia in the area of trade. Türkiye is already part of the Customs Union, and we are part of the same customs territory. This is very important. Therefore, I think trade relations between the European Union, Armenia and Türkiye are of great importance.
In this context, I would like to recall that two months ago the European Commission presented a proposal for a transitional arrangement for the preferential export of Armenian products to the EU for two years, under what are known as autonomous trade measures.
This actually means that the European Union is offering Armenia duty-free exports for almost all products that have been affected by the restrictive measures imposed by Russia on Armenian exports.
These preferential trade measures were proposed by the European Union. Yesterday, EU member states in the Council approved the European Commission’s proposal without any changes. This is a very important signal, and in the coming days we expect approval by the European Parliament as well.
So, this is a very important new opportunity, I would say particularly for our Armenian friends, and it should be taken advantage of. There will be no customs duties on the majority of trade with the European Union. In fact, 99% of your exports to Russia that have been affected by these measures are covered by these two-year autonomous measures.
We look forward to seeing how these measures will have a positive impact on Armenian businesses as a whole and on the normalization of Armenia-Türkiye relations,” Maragos said.
He also stressed the importance of the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, noting that initiatives aimed at normalizing Armenia-Türkiye relations can contribute to creating the human and business ties necessary for peace in the region.
“And, of course, here I want to emphasize how important support for peace and normalization of relations in the region is. Since last year, when the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan was initialed, there have been very important developments.
Such programs can also help build what will essentially be the lifeline of this normalization. That is people-to-people contact. It is people like you who will bring this peace and normalization to life on the ground. It is not only the government, nor is it only European institutions. We want to find the best way to continue supporting such initiatives among businesses, but also civil society, other companies and professionals.
Because you certainly know each other, because you are neighbors and have a long history. On the other hand, continuing to engage people, getting to know each other and learning each other’s languages, I think, is really important for creating stability in trade, joint business opportunities and tourism as well.
I think the tourism potential on both sides of the border is truly enormous, and I believe it will create many new opportunities for employment and investment, as well as for addressing common needs and common challenges, supporting the environment, protecting water resources and working together toward a better future, a better future for the new generation.
So, the European Union is here to support such initiatives,” the Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia concluded.
A two-day forum bringing together the business communities of Armenia and Türkiye is being held in Yerevan on September 3-4. It is organized by the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen of Armenia within the framework of the “Support to Armenia-Türkiye Normalization: Enhancing Cross-Border Linkages” project, funded by the EU.
The forum aims to bring together representatives of the business and government sectors of Armenia and Türkiye on one platform to discuss opportunities for economic cooperation between the two countries, identify new areas and formats for cooperation, and promote the establishment of new business ties and partnerships.
The event includes discussions and meetings on the potential for bilateral economic cooperation, the development of business ties and opportunities for cross-border cooperation.