The EU Delegation in Yerevan said the aid will support the Armenian government’s “healthcare and anti-crisis measures for vulnerable groups and businesses affected by COVID-19.”
“We have already disbursed around Euro 60 million this year in direct grant-based budget support to Armenia to tackle COVID-19 and more is yet to come,” the head of the delegation, Andrea Wiktorin, said in a statement. “Our assistance is expected to help implement important economic reforms, preserve jobs and small businesses and promote inclusive growth in Armenia.”
The statement also quoted Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigorian as saying that it “will greatly contribute to Armenia’s recovery from the pandemic.”
The latest allocation is part of a 92 million-euro coronavirus-related aid package for Armenia approved by the EU in April.
The pandemic has hit the country of about 3 million hard, with 155,440 coronavirus cases and at least 2,691 deaths officially confirmed so far. The Armenian Ministry of Health reported on Wednesday morning the deaths of 20 more people infected with the disease.
The pandemic is also the main reason why the Armenian economy is projected to shrink by more than 7 percent this year after three consecutive years of robust growth.