Cyprus, Armenia to strengthen ties ‘in all directions’ – Marilena Raouna

Cyprus fully supports the further deepening of the cooperation between the European Union and Armenia, European affairs deputy minister Marilena Raouna has said, Cyprus Mail reports. “The cooperation is based on our shared values and the vision for a stable, democratic and prosperous Armenia and a stable South Caucasus,” she said, speaking at the European parliament’s plenary on the strengthening of Armenia’s democratic resilience on Tuesday.

Raouna underlined that democratic resilience was a “core commitment” of the EU – both in regard to its member states and its neighbors.

She emphasised that the relations between the EU and Armenia have made “significant progress” in the last two years since the European Council’s call to strengthen relations “in all dimensions”, laying the foundation for new cooperation.

“Next week the first EU-Armenia summit will be held in Yerevan,” Raouna said.

She said that the summit sent a “strong message” on the importance of Armenia as a regional partner of the EU, with President Nikos Christodoulides scheduled to meet with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to reaffirm the EU’s commitment to the bilateral cooperation.

Raouna went on to highlight the importance of the EU-Armenia strategic agenda, which she described as a “clear roadmap for cooperation”, as well as investments of approximately €270 million made via the resilience and development plan, which contributed to the strengthening of Armenia’s resilience in view of external pressures.

“This is not only about financial support but also about investing in the future of Armenia,” she said.

Warning of the undermining of trust in democratic institutions via disinformation campaigns, Raouna said that Armenia’s upcoming parliamentary elections on June 7 have the potential to be a “defining moment” for Armenia.

“In an increasingly complex geopolitical environment, strengthening partnerships with countries that share the same values remains a key priority,” Raouna said.