The 27 European Union member states have approved €20 million (approximately $23.3 million) in assistance for Armenia from the European Peace Facility, following Hungary’s decision to lift its earlier veto, European media reported on Wednesday (28 January).
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó had stated that Hungary would approve assistance for Armenia if a comparable amount was also granted to Azerbaijan.
Following diplomatic engagements, Hungary revised its position.
The funding is the second allocation for Armenia from the European Peace Facility. The fund, established in 2021, aims to prevent conflicts worldwide and provide non-lethal military equipment to countries in need.
The first tranche, provided in July 2024, amounted to €10 million and supported the establishment of a field modular camp, including a medical facility.
The current allocation, which will be disbursed over the next 35 months, is intended to strengthen Armenia’s Armed Forces and defence capabilities through medical equipment and technical training.
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said the EU and Armenia should reassess the future role of the EU Monitoring Mission in Armenia (EUMA) in light of progress in the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process.
Speaking at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Mirzoyan noted that the mission had contributed to regional stability but suggested a review to determine how it could support regional development.
“We now have peace, and we should consider how this mission can further contribute to the development of the region,” Mirzoyan said, referring to the normalization of relations with Azerbaijan.
EUMA head Markus Ritter previously indicated that the mission would conclude operations in border areas once a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia is signed.
The mission, which began on 20 February 2023, had its mandate extended by the EU Council in January 2025 to remain active until 19 February 2027.
The latest funding and statements reflect ongoing EU engagement in Armenia, including security, defence and post-conflict regional stability efforts.
As the EU deepens its engagement with Armenia, the latest assistance package has prompted questions about the motivations shaping Brussels’ approach.
Speaking to AnewZ, Nargiz Mammadova, expert in international relations at the STEM Center, says the size and nature of the allocation require closer examination, particularly at a time when Armenia and Azerbaijan are progressing through a defined peace process.
Mammadova notes that the EU–Armenia cooperation agreement itself contained what she describes as “paradoxical elements”, including statements that, in her view, contradicted the peace agenda established after the Washington summit.
She says it remains unclear which European parliamentarians championed the agreement, what considerations guided its adoption, and why military-oriented assistance is being placed at the forefront of major financial allocations.
“If the conflict is over, it is not logical for the EU to allocate such a large budget to Armenia,” she says, pointing to the absence of a military dimension in the current peace agenda. She argues that the decision raises concerns about coherence and intent.
Mammadova characterises the EU’s approach as displaying “double standards”. She highlights that senior European officials have voiced support for the peace agenda and the outcomes of the Washington process, yet the scale of assistance to Armenia appears, in her view, “irrational” and warrants deeper scrutiny as a potential risk to stability in the South Caucasus.
In a workshop surrounded by the wreckage of war, workers in Gaza are giving a second life to small leisure boats once used for family outings and swim...
Five Azerbaijani crew members were killed, and three others were injured after two cargo vessels were hit in a drone attack in the Sea of Azov, Azerba...
The United States has approved the possible sale of five Seahawk maritime helicopters to New Zealand in a deal valued at $1.5 billion, as Wellington m...
The United States has announced an additional $38 million to support efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as hea...
Armenians will vote on Sunday in a parliamentary election that will determine whether Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan secures a new mandate to pursue ...
As Armenia approaches parliamentary elections, Russia appears to be increasing political and economic pressure on Yerevan, signalling that closer integration with the EU could lead to significant changes in labour, transport and energy arrangements between the two countries.
Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova praised Georgia for resisting Western pressure (30 May), defending its national interests and pursuing a "multi-vector foreign policy" - language that closely mirrors the rhetoric of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
A growing majority of Europeans believe the European Union should pursue a more independent foreign policy and reduce its reliance on the U.S., according to a new survey published on Friday.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 28 May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Five Azerbaijani crew members were killed, and three others were injured after two cargo vessels were hit in a drone attack in the Sea of Azov, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said on Friday, as Russia blamed Ukraine for the strike.
The new AnewZ documentary, TARGET: Yerevan, builds its explosive case on exclusive, secret recordings originally published by Minval Politika.
Azerbaijan has strongly rejected allegations published by CNN claiming that its territory was used for Israeli military and intelligence operations against Iran, describing the report as entirely baseless and demanding a retraction.
More than 6,000 people gathered outside a vote-counting centre in Seoul on Friday night, demanding this week’s local elections be repeated after ballot shortages left some voters unable to cast their ballots.
Armenia will hold parliamentary elections on 7 June 2026, a vote that will shape the country’s political direction for the next five years. Understanding how the electoral system converts votes into parliamentary power is key to following the outcome and its wider regional implications.
The United Nations has warned that Afghanistan has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, with around 600 mothers dying for every 100,000 live births.
In a workshop surrounded by the wreckage of war, workers in Gaza are giving a second life to small leisure boats once used for family outings and swimming trips.
A seven-month-old Palestinian baby has been killed and his parents injured after Israeli forces fired at a vehicle in Hebron, Palestinian health officials say.
The U.S. said it struck Iranian radar sites on Qeshm Island and in Goruk after intercepting four drones, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they launches retaliatory strikes on four tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted U.S. bases in the Gulf.
Azerbaijan is once again at the centre of global climate diplomacy, hosting World Environment Day 2026 and bringing together international leaders, policymakers and organisations to address urgent environmental challenges.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment