EU Explained by YEAs | Special Episode #3 with EU Ambassador Vassilis Maragos

The European Union has scaled its targeted support for southern Armenia to approximately €200 million. Combining grants and preferential loans, the Resilient Syunik Initiative within the Team Europe aims to turn regional vulnerability into sustainable economic growth.

In a new episode of the EU Explained podcast, Vassilis Maragos, EU Ambassador to Armenia, sat down with the Young European Ambassadors to map out exactly where these funds are going and how they impact local communities.

“There was a moment when the Syunik region was considered to be vulnerable, fragile, and the people were worried,” Ambassador Maragos noted. “But joint engagement with the regional authorities, the government, and the EU has helped us strengthen the resilience of this region. I already see the first results.”

Backed by EU member states and Switzerland, the initiative drives more than 40 ongoing development projects across the province. Key investments focus on daily infrastructure and human capital:

• Funding solar panel installations, energy-efficiency upgrades, and vital agricultural irrigation systems.
• Upgrading local water management, healthcare facilities, and municipal services.
• Investing in non-formal education, including direct EU financial support to open the new TUMO Center for Creative Technologies in Kapan.
• Providing small loans and grants to boost the local private sector.

Economic growth requires physical security. Ambassador Maragos highlighted that the infrastructure investments work hand-in-hand with the European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA). By deploying civilian monitors to conflict-affected border areas, the EU is actively working to restore confidence and human security for Syunik’s residents.

The “EU Explained” podcast series is funded by the European Union and implemented via the EU NEIGHBOURS East programme.

Watch the full interview to discover how the EU is helping shape the resilience of Syunik: