March 29, 2026, Athens
A high-level discussion on “Armenia and its EU Accession Process: Challenges & Prospects” took place in Athens, under the auspices of the European Parliament, at the Europa Experience Athens, organized by the Piraeus-Athens branch of the Young Europeans Association of Greece (JEF Greece).
The event began with welcoming remarks by Michalis Livanos, Member of the Hellenic Parliament, representative of the ruling New Democracy party, Ioannis Chrysoulakis, former Secretary General of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yiorgos Tassis, Head of the Office of the Director of Digital Communications of the Greek Prime Minister, Eleftheria Moraitaki, Deputy Governor of Attica, as well as Filippos Kamaris, Representative of the European Parliament Office in Greece. The opening speech was also delivered by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the Republic of Greece, Tigran Mkrtchyan, emphasizing the importance of the event in terms of the development of Armenia-European Union relations and the deepening of dialogue.
The main speakers of the event were Sifis Kasesyan, writer-publicist, Secretary of the Center for Armenian-Greek Studies, and George Meneshyan, international affairs expert, who in their speeches respectively touched upon Armenia’s political and institutional reforms, as well as the prospects for Armenia-EU economic integration and trade cooperation.
Hovsep Khurshudyan, analyst, President of the “Free Citizen” NGO, also spoke remotely at the discussion. In his speech, Khurshudyan presented the main geopolitical and security challenges affecting Armenia’s European integration process, emphasizing the impact of regional developments on the country’s strategic direction. He emphasized that Armenia’s European choice requires a comprehensive approach, including both institutional reforms and a flexible and balanced strategy for security and foreign policy. Khurshudyan also emphasized that deepening cooperation with the European Union can significantly contribute to increasing Armenia’s resilience, strengthening democratic institutions and ensuring sustainable development. He also emphasized the importance of active participation of society, especially youth, as a key factor in spreading European values and promoting reforms.
The event was attended by diplomats accredited in Greece from a number of EU member states, representatives of state and local self-government bodies, experts, members of civil society and students, creating an environment for multilateral and substantive discussion.
