Although Armenia is not a NATO member and belongs to the Collective Security Treaty Organization led by Russia, it has recently shifted towards closer relations with Western countries due to Moscow’s restrained response during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The €10 million will come from the European Peace Facility, an initiative that enables the EU to fund activities aimed at strengthening the military and defense capabilities of third countries and regional and international organizations.

The instrument was established in March 2021 to finance common actions to prevent conflict.

The EU assistance aims to increase the logistical capacity of the Armenian armed forces, among other things, in order to improve protection for civilians in crisis and emergency situations.

The support will also raise the level of interoperability of the Armenian military for possible future participation in international military missions and operations, including under the auspices of the EU.

“Security is an increasingly important element of our bilateral relations with Armenia. This European Peace Facility measure will further contribute to the resilience of the country,” said Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief.

“We have a mutual interest to further scale up our dialogue on foreign and security policy, also looking into Armenia’s future participation in EU-led missions and operations,” Borrell added.