EU plans to liberalize 80 percent of Armenian exports

(Horizon Media / YEREVAN) — The European Union plans to liberalize nearly 80 percent of Armenian exports to the EU market, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced in Yerevan following talks with Nikol Pashinyan.

Von der Leyen said Brussels is proposing Autonomous Trade Measures for Armenia, which would allow a large share of Armenian goods to enter the European market without tariffs. The measure is aimed at helping Armenian exporters diversify away from traditional markets, particularly as Armenia faces growing trade pressure from Russia.

Pashinyan welcomed the proposal, saying that once the decision fully enters into force, Armenia would become the first country without EU candidate status or a free trade agreement with the bloc to benefit from such a measure in recent years. He expressed hope that the approval process would be completed quickly, noting that Armenia’s harvest season has already begun.

Von der Leyen said Armenia “can count on the European Union,” describing Russia’s pressure on Armenia as close to “economic coercion.” She also announced an additional €18 million in EU assistance, the final part of a broader €52 million support package designed to strengthen Armenia’s trade capacity and help businesses affected by Russian restrictions.

The announcement comes during a politically sensitive period, following Armenia’s recent parliamentary elections and amid intensifying geopolitical competition over the country’s foreign policy direction. While Brussels presents its support as economic resilience and market diversification, the timing and scale of EU engagement around the election period have also raised questions about the bloc’s increasingly direct role in Armenia’s domestic political landscape.

Pashinyan, for his part, insisted that Armenia’s closer ties with the EU do not mean his government seeks a crisis with Russia. He said Yerevan is pursuing what he described as a balanced foreign policy, while placing Armenia’s interests above those of any external partner.