Armenia is stepping up efforts to redirect trade towards the European Union after Russia imposed a series of import restrictions on Armenian products ahead of parliamentary elections that returned Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to power, while Brussels has signalled support for deeper economic integration with the South Caucasus country.
Relations between Yerevan and its traditional ally Moscow remain strained, following a pattern seen in Moldova, where Russian trade restrictions and political pressure ultimately helped push exports toward the EU. The European Union has become Moldova's largest trading partner, including for businesses in the pro-Russian breakaway region of Transnistria.
European Council President António Costa on June 9 congratulated Pashinyan on his election victory and pledged continued support for closer ties.
According to the Armenian government, Costa told Pashinyan in a telephone conversation that the EU would deepen cooperation with Armenia in energy, trade and digitalisation. He said Armenian voters had chosen "a future based on peace, stability, and closer cooperation with their neighbours and the international community."
The call came as Armenian officials disclosed progress toward expanding access for Armenian goods to European markets.
Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said Armenia and the EU had reached a political understanding on exports and were moving toward implementation.
"There is a common political understanding between Armenia and the EU, a common political agreement and consensus. We are entering the technical formalisation stage," Mirzoyan told lawmakers, Arka reported.
The government has already approved support measures aimed at helping exporters diversify away from dependence on a single market. New programmes include assistance for greenhouse producers exporting tomatoes, peppers, strawberries and flowers, as well as compensation for customs duties on exports of fruits, vegetables and flowers to EU countries, the UK and Canada.
The push comes after Russian authorities imposed restrictions in recent weeks on a range of Armenian exports, including flowers, fruits, vegetables, dried fruits, fish products, mineral water, wine and brandy. Moscow cited phytosanitary and veterinary concerns and also restricted some transit shipments moving through Russia to other members of the Eurasian Economic Union.
Armenian officials have responded by seeking alternative markets. At the same time, Yerevan is pursuing new regional trade routes. Mirzoyan said a recent meeting between Armenian and Turkish business representatives in the eastern Turkish city of Kars had generated strong interest from Turkish companies.
The government's economic diversification drive has received additional momentum from the parliamentary election held on June 7. Preliminary results showed Pashinyan's Civil Contract party winning nearly 50% of the vote, securing a new mandate despite criticism from opposition parties, which alleged irregularities and said they would challenge the results.
The election outcome is likely to reassure European officials who have increasingly viewed Armenia as a partner in a strategically important region between Europe, Russia and the Middle East.
Armenia is also deepening ties with the United States. Yerevan and Washington recently signed a framework agreement for the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP). Pashinyan described TRIPP as a billion-dollar project that could attract substantial investment and strengthen Armenia's role as a regional transport hub.
For Brussels, the deepening relationship with Armenia mirrors developments in Moldova, where Russian economic pressure and restrictions on exports accelerated the country's reorientation toward European markets. Despite its longstanding links to Russia, even businesses in Transnistria have increasingly relied on access to EU markets under arrangements negotiated through Moldova.
Armenian officials are now pursuing a similar diversification strategy in the hope it will reduce the country's vulnerability to external economic pressure while opening new opportunities for exporters and investors.
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