The meeting was attended by Mr Armen Simonyan, Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia (Covenant national Coordinator), H.E. Mr Vassilis Maragos, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Armenia, Mr Christoph Frering, Team Leader of CoM East, Mr Maksym Vereshchak, Deputy Team Leader of CoM East, representatives of Covenant signatories and supporters as well as partner organizations and experts.

In his welcoming speech, Mr Maragos stressed the EU’s readiness to continue cooperation with the Republic of Armenia to support Armenian institutions, municipalities, the government, and the private sector.

The Ambassador highlighted the importance of implementing local energy and climate strategies (SECAPs) within the framework of the Covenant of Mayors as one of the key elements in improving the quality of life of citizens and the level of services provided to residents by municipalities. “The action plans are for everyone and should be implemented at the local government level, together with local government stakeholders,” noted Mr Maragos. Also, the Ambassador mentioned a €270 million worth Resilience and Growth Plan for Armenia for 2024-2027 proposed by the EU within the framework of a new and ambitious Partnership Agenda. “Among numerous objectives, the Plan will support Armenia’s energy diversification and security with more investments in renewables and stronger transmission network with Georgia” mentioned the Ambassador.

Mr Armen Simonyan, emphasized the role of communities in the development and implementation of local strategies for sustainable development, noted: "With joint efforts, we can achieve positive changes and ensure the sustainable development of communities. Today's meeting of the Covenant of Mayors Club in Armenia provides an opportunity to present our and our partners' achievements, further steps, as well as discuss existing challenges. I urge representatives of local self-government bodies to actively participate in the discussions and make efforts to participate in such initiatives more effectively."

Mr Christoph Frering, assured that the Covenant Club is a good platform for an open discussion between municipalities and relevant stakeholders at the national level, which is very important for the further development of the initiative in Armenia and to ensure a more enabling environment for the development and implementation of SECAPs. "Cities really want to be energy efficient and resilient to climate change, and for this, along with actions at the sub-national level, an appropriate legal and regulatory framework is needed. The CoM East team is ready to assist local and national authorities in identifying the barriers and drivers within its capacity and competence," said Mr Frering.

Mrs Natalia Lapauri, Advisor to the Union of Communities of Armenia, emphasized the importance of cooperation with the EU within the framework of the Covenant of Mayors, especially in the development of communities. She noted that the communities that are already members of the Covenant are qualitatively different, so this also proves that the cooperation format is effective.

During the meeting, elections for the new chairmanship of the Club took place. Mr Sarik Minasyan, Acting Mayor of Gyumri, has been elected as a new Chairman of the Club, while Mr Armen Grigoryan, Mayor of Stepanavan, has been elected as Vice-Chair of the Club, and will be become members of the CoM East Board.