Source: www.eunewsletter.am

The concept of Euroclubs started more than 25 years ago in Portugal, and spread to other EU member states and beyond: Euroclubs now exist across the EU and have been established in Eastern Partnership countries.
The idea behind the clubs is very simple; it is about offering a possibility for young people to gain access to information and to conduct conversations about Europe and European values and opportunities. The main goals of Euroclubs in Armenian marzes have been be to inform and educate young people about the EU and EU-Armenia issues, offer assistance in establishing long-term partnerships with European youth NGOs, apply for and obtain EU resources, and support Armenian youth’s aspirations to strengthen relations with the EU.

The Delegation of the European Union in Armenia decided to launch this project to involve youth from all Armenian marzes and create equal opportunities. The very first Euroclub in Armenia was launched in Goris (Syunik marz) and the second in Yeghegnadzor (Vayots dzor marz). Now it is Yerevan’s turn.

On 18 October 2016 the opening ceremony of the Yerevan Euroclub took place. The Head of the EU Delegation, Ambassador Piotr Świtalski, spoke to participants during the opening ceremony, praising the youth activism behind the clubs: ‘I’m very glad that young people in Armenia are interested in this idea and initiative. The fact that more Euroclubs are being launched in Armenia has symbolic significance – it shows that the European identity of young Armenians is very strong. Young Armenians want to stay in touch, have contact and engage in dialogue and cooperation with young people in other European countries; I don’t just mean the European Union. That said, we believe that, through Euroclubs, Armenian youth, in particular those in the regions, will get additional possibilities to learn more about EU projects in Armenia and establish links with these projects’.

After the opening ceremony, Ambassador Świtalski met over 30 members of the Euroclub in Yerevan. He chaired a discussion, during which they asked many questions and talked about the future of the Yerevan Euroclub.