Case studies, District heating, Municipal buildings and facilities, Others, RES, Residential buildings, Street lighting, Transport
CoM Signatories in Armenia Strengthen Capacities for Project Implementation
On 19–20 June 2025, over 25 representatives from 15 Armenian municipalities participated in the fifth capacity-building training for Covenant of Mayors (CoM East) signatories, held in Tsaghkadzor. The event aimed to strengthen local authorities’ ability to prepare and manage bankable project proposals under EU and international support programmes.
Participants explored how to overcome common challenges in project planning—such as limited experience in design, budgeting, implementation and monitoring—which often hinder municipalities from accessing international funding for their Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs).
The two-day training provided municipalities with practical tools and insights to secure external financing, implement demonstration projects, and foster long-term resilience. Trainers also presented good practices from CoM-DeP I and II and introduced tailored technical assistance offered through CoM East and GIZ programmes.
Mr Ashot Giloyan, Head of the Local Self-Governance Policy Department at Armenia’s Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, and Mr Christophe Frering, Team Leader of the CoM East Secretariat, welcomed the participants and encouraged continued engagement in climate and energy action.
Maksym Vereshchak, Deputy Team Leader of the CoM East Secretariat, outlined the technical support available to signatories. Andre Ohanian, an expert in civil engineering and energy efficiency, presented the results of energy audits in municipal buildings in Tashir and Stepanavan, along with recommendations on construction site supervision and quality control.
Astghine Pasoyan, energy efficiency finance expert, shared outcomes of the EU4Armenia Sustainable Energy Programme in Aparan and Artik. She also advised on drafting adaptation project proposals and building effective cooperation with subcontractors.
Jan Waanders, international expert on energy efficiency and grant schemes, summarised key achievements and lessons learnt from both phases of the CoM-DeP programme, while explaining the lifecycle of EU-funded projects and how to design strong proposals.
Energy engineer Njdeh Andriazian presented progress under the EU4 Yerevan Solar Community project. Tatevik Harutyunyan, CoM East Communication Expert in Armenia, introduced EUDIGITOOL—a digital communication instrument supporting EU-funded initiatives in the Eastern Partnership region.
GIZ Armenia experts briefed participants on the status and objectives of the EU4Climate Resilience and SE4Resilience projects. They confirmed that seven Armenian municipalities will receive tailored technical assistance for developing SECAPs.
The training combined theoretical input with interactive activities and real-life case studies. During the final session, participants worked in groups to develop and present project proposals focused on both mitigation (renewable energy and energy efficiency in buildings) and adaptation (extreme precipitation and heatwaves).