Europe Day celebrations started in Yerevan

ArmInfo.Europe Day celebrations has started in Yerevan. This year, celebrations  will take place from  May 10 to June 7 in Yerevan and regions of the country. Head of the EU delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Vassilis Maragos, stated on May 10 in Yerevan at the opening of the Europe Day celebrations.

According to him, the purpose of these cultural and information  events is to demonstrate the depth of relations between Armenia and  the EU. "After this press conference, we will open a "Europe is Us"  photo exhibition. These are photographs with which we will  demonstrate the tangible assistance that we provided here in Armenia,  especially in the regions of the country," the Ambassador added.

At the same time, the European diplomat noted that in recent years  Yerevan and Brussels have been constantly working to increase the  pace of development of bilateral relations.  At the same time, Mr.  Maragos pointed to several positive developments in EU-Armenia   bilateral relations. According to him, this is, first of all, a new  agenda for the EU-Armenia partnership program, which was published in  Brussels following the meeting of the Armenian Foreign Minister and  the EU High Representative.

"Another important program is the Resilience and Growth Plan,  announced by the head of the European Commission Ursula von der  Leyen. This Resilience program will allow Armenia to strengthen the  economy, society, accelerate reforms and bring it closer to the EU.  Help for refugees is also expected," Mr.  Maragos said, recalling  that the EU has already provided 50 million euros for this purpose  and possibilities are being explored to identify new means for the  integration of refugees (from Artsakh, ed. note) into Armenian  society.

The head of the EU delegation also informed that the European side is  now working intensively with the Armenian government on the agenda of  a new partnership program, which will be based on the Comprehensive  and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, which, among other things, will  assist Armenia in overcoming existing challenges.

Speaking about cooperation in the field of security, Mr. Maragos  noted that Brussels is promoting the establishment of peace and  normalization of relations in the region, as evidenced by the  deployment of the EU observation mission on the Armenian border with  Azerbaijan.

"The deployment of the EU mission in Armenia has reduced tensions on  the border and improved the security of people. Our cooperation in  the field of security continues and brings concrete results. We  continue our interaction and the current package of our cooperation  amounts to more than 350 million euros as part of the sustainability  program," Vassilis Maragos concluded .

This year's Europe Day celebrations began with a  "Europe is Us"  photo exhibition to showcase the positive impact of the EU-funded  projects on individuals, as well as the investments on the  development of various regions of Armenia. 

The "Europe Day" will be marked with an Info Fair and a multi-genre  concert in Lori. The Info Fair will take place on May 17 at the COAF  Smart Center. Guests will get acquainted with the EU funded projects.   The event will turn into a bright celebration due to various games  and competitions included in the project, children will have all the  necessary conditions to enjoy their day.  In the evening, a concert  will take place, which includes performances dedicated to the 100th  anniversary of Charles Aznavour. Hayk Petrosyan, Vahagn Hayrapetyan  and other renowned and talented musicians will perform. The Armenian  Alternative Folk Rock Band "Lav Eli" and a famous Armenian singer  Aram Mp3 will also perform.

On May 23, the "Europe Day" celebrations will take place in the city   of Goris, Syunik.  An Info Fair will be held, through which visitors  will have the opportunity to learn more about the EU-funded projects  and the lasting impact these have had on people.  Children and their  family members will enjoy a day full of unique experiences and  delightful surprises in an engaging setting.  The EU Delegation in  Armenia organizes the European Film Festival in the scope of the  "Europe Day" celebrations.  The European Film Festival will run from  May 29 to June 7 at the Cinema House and at the theatre named after  Henrik Malyan in Yerevan.  This year, the festival features 23 films  from Belgium, Portugal, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, France,  Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia, Sweden, Spain, Romania, Bulgaria,  Italy, Cyprus, Greece, the Netherlands, Ukraine, Finland, Malta,  Denmark, and Armenia.  Film screenings offer a wonderful opportunity  to delve into European culture and explore the valuable ideas that  the authors aim to share through their films.