For the first time in history, a summit between the European Union and Armenia will be held on May 5.
Modern.az reports that, according to “EUObserver”, a new partnership format covering transport, energy and digital cooperation is expected to be announced at the end of the meeting.
According to the information, after the US played an active role in peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan last year, the EU is also trying to join the development of the transport corridor project called “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP).
According to Brussels' assessment, this route could be an alternative trade route bypassing Russia and more deeply integrate Armenia into Eurasian logistics chains.
According to the EU representative, currently, the transportation of goods from China to Europe takes approximately 42 days, but if the Middle Corridor works efficiently, this period can be reduced to 12-13 days.
At the same time, some experts criticize the European Union for the weakness of strategic leadership and the slowness of decisions. According to them, this situation creates dissatisfaction in the region and strengthens the influence of the US in the South Caucasus.
Within the framework of the summit, cooperation in the field of security and defense is also expected to expand. In this context, it is planned to increase support to the Armenian Armed Forces through the European Peace Fund. Since 2014, approximately 30 million euros of aid has been allocated to Armenia.
At the same time, it is reported that the first progress report on the visa liberalization process will be presented. In this context, the EU border agency Frontex plans to expand cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia.
