The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen the Vice President of the European Commission, the High Representative of the E.U.; High Representative for the European Union, Joseph Borel; the Secretary of State of the United States of America Anthony Blinken, the USAID Administrator Samantha Power met today, April 5, 2024, in Brussels. to reaffirm support for Armenia's sovereignty, democracy, territorial integrity and socio-economic resilience.
and a stable, peaceful, secure, democratic, and prosperous future for the region. In this context, we aim to expand cooperation to strengthen Armenia's resilience, including in critical areas such as political reforms, economic development, and humanitarian assistance. We will seek to expand our partnerships in areas such as mobility, governance, law enforcement, trade, communications, agriculture, energy, and technology. The European Union and the United States envisage stronger cooperation with Armenia to support these critical areas.
The European Union and the United States commended Armenia's significant progress in reforms in democracy and justice and the fight against corruption since 2018. They expressed their commitment to continued partnership and support for Armenia as it continues to strengthen democracy and the rule of law, which is in line with our shared values and principles.
The E.U. will continue to support Armenia on its reform path through the implementation of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA). To promote reforms and expand cooperation in all sectors, the E.U. and Armenia will ensure progress on the new Armenia-EU Partnership Agenda.
The United States is committed to helping Armenia and Prime Minister Pashinyan implement the planned reforms. The Biden administration and Congress plan to provide about 65 million dollars in development assistance to Armenia in the 2023 fiscal year.
The European Union and the United States have welcomed Armenia's commitment to improving connectivity with the outside world, including the Crossroads for Peace initiative, which will promote shared prosperity and regional economic and trade diversification.
The E.U. and the U.S. intend to provide additional assistance to help Armenia mitigate risks, diversify trade, and strengthen economic and institutional resilience.
To strengthen the new agenda of the Armenia-EU Partnership, the E.U. will develop a 270 million euro program for "Armenia's resilience and growth for 2024-2027."
The E.U. program "Armenia's Resilience and Growth" will strengthen Armenia's socio-economic resilience while supporting trade diversification. It will also provide support to address the long-term needs of the displaced. It will enhance sectoral cooperation with Armenia while increasing support for regulatory harmonization aimed at realizing the full potential of the GCC. The E.U. will continue to support critical areas, from trade diversification, infrastructure development, and energy to aviation security.
President von der Leyen also referred to the advantages of the Economic and Investment Plan launched in 2021, which has already mobilized more than 550 million euros of investments in Armenia through grants and private and public investments. In line with the Economic and Investment Plan, the E.U. Resilience and Growth Program will increase support for strategic investments, particularly in transport infrastructure, digital and energy, and business development, to support job creation and economic growth. The Economic and Investment Plan can deliver financial benefits through peace, including regional connectivity, if and when conditions permit. The E.U. will also look at ways to support mobility.
The United States is working with Armenia in several areas to promote economic growth and reform, trade diversification, and resilience. The United States will work with Armenia to attract additional U.S. investment, optimize technology trade opportunities, increase cybersecurity cooperation, and expand technology infrastructure. The United States is committed to Armenia's safe, reliable, and secure energy future. It is working to support energy diversification and explore the feasibility of new peaceful nuclear power options prioritizing atomic safety and the highest nonproliferation standards. The United States is committed to increasing food security in Armenia and across Armenia's borders, facilitating the flow of agricultural products.
Given the ongoing challenges, Armenia faces in supporting and socially, including more than 100,000 displaced persons and refugees, the European Union and the United States intend to continue to support Armenia's efforts to provide housing, training, work opportunities, and psychosocial support to those in need, and to ensure decent living conditions of displaced people.
Starting in September 2023, the E.U. has rapidly mobilized €18 million in humanitarian and €15 million in budgetary support to respond to refugees' urgent and socio-economic needs. Thus, the total allocation of humanitarian aid to the affected population since 2020 is 38.4 million euros. The E.U. stands with Armenia in addressing and supporting the long-term needs of refugees. The E.U. Resilience and Growth Program will also include budgetary support for displaced people's long-term economic and social inclusion.
Likewise, beginning in September 2023, the United States announced more than $7 million in humanitarian assistance to displaced persons and refugees. This funding will bring total U.S. humanitarian assistance to nearly $31 million since September 2020. U.S. assistance has provided vital food assistance, humanitarian protection, and temporary shelter and will continue to respond to the needs of displaced people and refugees. The United States will support Armenia's efforts to minimize pressure on public services and infrastructure and promote social cohesion and economic development.
A prosperous, sovereign, and democratic Armenia, developing its partnerships and freely determining its path, will contribute to regional stability and prosperity.
