Suppressing political opponents in the lead-up to last month’s elections, Armenia’s Nikol Pashinyan has accrued some enemies at home. Brussels, meanwhile, is pushing an exemption for tariffs on 80 percent of Armenian exports.
Gaia Neiman
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen visited Armenia on Thursday (2 July) in an effort to facilitate Brussels’ influence and trade on the region.
Von der Leyen made a return appearance in Yerevan in a show of support of the recently re-elected leader Nikol Pashinyan who’s Civil Contract party has been guiding the nation away from historic Russian influence in a Westward pivot.
The presence of EU commissioner for enlargement Marta Kos at the meeting was also a sign that EU candidacy status could be on the table.
“Armenia has made a sovereign choice. And for this you are facing significant economic pressure from Russia,” said von der Leyen said on social media.
Her trip to the South Caucasus included a stop in Azerbaijan on Wednesday (1 July), where she sought to strengthen efforts of facilitating peace with Armenia over the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region, so as to champion a trade corridor that would bring the region closer to Europe.
“Opening borders will transform Armenia’s economic future. And it will anchor Armenia at the heart of one of the world’s most strategic crossroads,” said von der Leyen, while doubling-down on promises to alleviate the burden of separating from historic trade dependence on Moscow – by proposing to remove tariffs from 80 percent of Armenian exports.
