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The European Union continues to be a key partner for Armenia be it the implementation of the reforms or other parts of the reform agenda, EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi told a joint news conference with Armenia’s caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan in Yerevan on Friday.

He highlighted the commitment of the Armenian government to continue with the reforms.

“These are essential reforms not only for Europe to see but also for the people of Armenia to see,” he said.

The commissioner underlined that last year the EU mobilized over €100 million to help Armenia to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

“We are now working hard to further support the resilience of the healthcare sector and to ensure safe and effective vaccines for everyone,” he said.

“No one is safe until everybody is safe.  No one is safe until everybody gets vaccinated. And this pandemic will not end until everybody gets vaccinated,” he stressed, adding all the efforts would be in vain if a fourth or a fifth wave of coronavirus began.

“Armenia has no time to waste, Armenia has no economy to waste anymore,” Várhelyi said, urging everyone to get vaccinated.

Separately, the commissioner said the EU has mobilized first €6.9 million and later €10 million in humanitarian aid for families of the 2020 Artsakh war victims, which is to be delivered very soon.

“The EU is ready and committed to take a very active role in the post-hostilities situation both as a facilitator of the confidence-building measures, especially to first overcome the humanitarian crisis, and later on as a key partner in the economic recovery in the crisis-hit region and the surrounding regions,” Várhelyi said.

The EU official said he has brought along a package “as a present”, which outlines an economic and investment plan for the economic recovery after the Covid crisis.