Armenia approves European Bank for Reconstruction and Development grant for customs centres in Yerevan and Syunik
Armenia’s government has approved a European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) grant to fund a team of consultants overseeing the construction of customs and logistics centres in Yerevan and Syunik. According to the justification for the government decision, the EBRD is providing about €57 million for the two centres: €49 million in loans and €8 million in grants (BusinessDaily calculation).
The Syunik centre is allocated €12 million (a €10 million loan and a €2 million grant) and the Yerevan centre €45 million (a €39 million loan in two tranches and a €6 million grant). The Syunik agreements were signed on 14 May 2024 and the Yerevan ones on 19 September 2025, while parliament ratified the loan agreements in November 2024 and April 2026 respectively.
The State Revenue Committee (SRC) and the EBRD concluded the grant agreement for the consultant team on 12 August 2026. The draft decree approving it will now go to Armenia’s president. The team leader will coordinate construction, a procurement specialist will run tenders under EBRD and Armenian rules, a civil engineer will handle technical supervision, and an environmental and social specialist will monitor compliance with EBRD performance requirements and environmental impact assessment standards.
The Syunik centre, in Armenia’s southern province bordering Iran, will be built near the village of Shaki, 7 km from Sisian, on a 7.7-hectare site at the base of the SRC’s Sisian unit. It will include an administrative building with a rooftop solar plant.
The Yerevan centre will be located in the village of Proshyan in the Nairi community of Kotayk province, which borders the capital. It will house a foreign trade services centre and an SRC administrative building, with core processes run through electronic systems. Both centres will serve importers and exporters on a “one stop, one window” basis.
On the same day, the government also approved a draft presidential decree on the grant agreement “Armenia: Yerevan and Syunik Customs and Logistics Centres. Green Certification Advisory Support”, which the SRC and the EBRD also concluded on 12 August 2026.
Under the agreement, experts will guide the process of obtaining environmental certificates at every stage of the projects so that the centres meet internationally recognised green standards. The consultants will prepare recommendations on environmental impact assessment, energy efficiency, resource saving and the use of environmentally friendly materials and technologies, and help prepare documentation in line with the requirements of international certification bodies. The Syunik administrative building is already designed with a rooftop solar plant. The decision does not specify the grant amount.
