The European Union has approved opening talks with Armenia on visa liberalization and has offered 10 million euros ($10.9 million) in military aid to the Caucasus country, the bloc's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has announced.
"These two decisions were long awaited by Armenia," Borrell said in remarks to a meeting of the EU foreign ministers on July 22.
A traditional ally and partner of Russia, Armenia recently has turned toward improving its ties with the West and putting on ice its relations with Moscow, which Yerevan has blamed for failing to support it in its conflict with longtime archfoe Azerbaijan.
The EU announcement was hailed by Yerevan, with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan calling it "a very important milestone in the deepening partnership between Armenia and the EU, based on shared values and principles."
The decision to open visa liberalization talks with Yerevan was initially made by the European Council on July 17 when the 27 EU ambassadors approved the proposal, with the council saying Armenia would have to meet commonly agreed benchmarks.
Once negotiations -- a process that could take several years -- are concluded, Armenians would be able to travel visa-free to EU countries and the Schengen Zone -- where border controls have been generally abolished -- for a period of 90 days within any 180-day period.
Several other former Soviet republics such as Moldova, Ukraine, and Armenia's fellow Caucasus neighbor Georgia have been granted visa-free travel to the bloc.
The second decision regarding military aid was adopted under the European Peace Facility.
"The aim of this assistance measure is to enhance the logistical capacities of the Armenian Armed Forces, and to contribute to improved protection of civilians in crises and emergencies," the council said in a separate statement.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry, however, protested the EU decision.
"We strongly object to this decision by the Council of the European Union and expect transparent information about the aid to be provided," Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Aykhan Hajizadeh told the media.
"[This decision] is a very wrong and dangerous step and serves to increase tension in the region," said Hajizadeh.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought several wars in the past three decades over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which had been a majority ethnic-Armenian enclave since the Soviet collapse and is internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory.
After Baku took full control over the region as the result of a one-day military operation in September 2023, nearly 100,000 ethnic Armenians fled Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia.
