Katarina Mathernova: Armenia needs to decide on unimplemented  programs financed by EU

ArmInfo.Armenia needs to decide on unimplemented programs, which are financed by EU grant funds. This July 20 at a meeting with journalists, Deputy Director of  the Directorate-General for Neighborhood Policy and the talks on the  expansion of the European Commission Katarina Mathernova said.

According to her, Armenia has not yet used the 110 million euro grant  previously allocated by the European Union, under which there are  signed agreements. At the same time, initially planned to send 50  million euros for the implementation of the political component, and  the remaining 60 million euros - to address economic issues. This  money is still frozen, and they are waiting for their fate.  Implemented or have already implemented programs worth 240 million  euros, funded by the EU grant funds. In total, as the European  official noted, the EU provided Armenia with financial assistance  worth 1 billion euros. This should also include various projects  implemented in Armenia by European financial institutions - the bank  KfW, the EBRD, the European Investment Bank, etc. Assistance was  mainly directed to the implementation of projects in energy, small  and medium business, financial sector. At present, a four-year  program for 2017-2020 worth 160 million euros is ready, which also  awaits its hour. Projects are also being implemented within the  framework of the Eastern Partnership program. "Despite the fact that  the EU is a complex bureaucratic structure, nevertheless, we are  ready to consider promptly the proposals and initiatives of the  Armenian government, proceeding from the principle" more for more.  However, to begin with, it is necessary to evaluate and analyze  previously implemented programs, as well as projects that are still  frozen," Katarina Mathernova said, adding at the same time that the  EU" does not give money for a velvet revolution. "In order to assess  the EU representative met with Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan,  ministers and deputy ministers. In particular, during negotiations  with the deputy prime minister, the possibility of appointing a  high-ranking political adviser to the European Union It is also  important to draw up an investment plan that should reflect the  directions of reforms, including the fight against corruption, and a  new program on developing energy efficiency is being prepared. "In  short, if necessary, we will increase the amount of financing, but  first we need to complete the programs that have already been started  and not started, "said Katarina Mathernova.

The head of the EU delegation to Armenia Piotr Switalski noted that  so far 110 million euros are in the "refrigerator" of the European  Union. Agreements on them are concluded, but the work is not being  conducted. Regarding the facilitation of the visa regime, the  diplomat noted that this issue will be resolved "at the appropriate  time." Recall that on July 20 at a meeting with journalists, Prime  Minister Nikol Pashinyan noted that prior to his visit to Brussels,  the European Union stated its readiness to assist Armenia. The head  of government stressed that in the course of his well-known  statement, he expressed bewilderment that the formula proposed by the  EU in fact does not work. "And I am amazed that a number of European  officials, during meetings with me, say that they expect changes in  Armenia both today and today, and I am surprised that there are still  officials in the EU who do not notice the changes that have In order  to make everything clear, I gave specific examples, in particular, I  informed that today's government, in two months or even a month,  without spending a penny, has done more in the area of fighting  corruption, than was done in the interaction with the EU by the  former government, spending on