European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's recent visits to Azerbaijan and Armenia conveyed different messages from an economic perspective.
Modern.az reports that Tahir Mirkişili, a member of the Milli Majlis, shared this on his "Facebook" account.
According to him, the main economic message of Ursula von der Leyen's visit to Baku is that Azerbaijan is not only an energy source for the European Union but also one of the main pillars of the Europe-Caspian-Central Asia connection.
Tahir Mirkişili noted that the European Union announced it would allocate up to 200 million euros in grants for transport, energy, and digital connections in the South Caucasus within the framework of the "Peace through Connectivity" initiative, which will enable the attraction of up to 2 billion euros in public and private investment. Potential projects include the Nakhchivan railway connection and the development of Baku Port.
According to the deputy, the main economic message of the visit to Yerevan was related to the diversification of the Armenian economy, the reduction of economic dependence on Russia, and the expansion of access opportunities to the European market.
Mirkişili stated that the European Union announced it would allocate an additional 18 million euros in economic support to Armenia. This fund is the final part of the previously announced 52 million euro support package. In addition, a duty-free access mechanism to the EU market is offered for approximately 80 percent of Armenian exports.
The deputy believes that the main difference between these two visits is that the European Union approaches Azerbaijan as a strategic partner, a key hub for energy and transport connections, while it provides support to Armenia in increasing economic stability and reducing dependence on Russia.
