EU, Washington Pledge Funds As Armenia Turns Away From Moscow

The European Union and the United States unveiled an aid package to Armenia to show support for its efforts to deepen ties with the West.

Von der Leyen and Blinken said the aid will help the South Caucasus nation increase its “resilience” and “diversify” its economy, which is heavily dependent on Russia.

Mirzoyan said Armenia’s military was not part of the discussion or aid package but that it would logically benefit from an improved economy.

“Increasing the [economic] resilience of Armenia eventually becomes the resilience of the security sphere,” Mirzoyan said.

He added that Armenia plans to interact more closely with the EU and deepen bilateral relations with Brussels.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev criticized the United States and EU for holding high-level trilateral negotiations with Armenia, saying they were “directed against Azerbaijan.”

Tensions along the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan began to grow hours after the Brussels meeting, with both sides accusing each other of violating the cease-fire.

Both sides reported shooting at various sections of the heavily militarized border during the nights of April 5-6 and April 6-7.