The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is loaning €39 million to build a new customs and logistics center outside Yerevan that will replace several scattered customs facilities across Armenia’s capital, according to an EBRD. The European Union is adding €6 million in grant money to the project.
The new facility will speed up customs clearance and cut the time trucks spend waiting at borders. Armenia currently has customs operations spread across multiple sites in Yerevan, which creates bottlenecks and delays for traders. The new center will use modern scanning equipment and a “single window” system where businesses can handle all their paperwork in one place.
Moving customs operations outside the city center should ease traffic jams in Yerevan and cut freight-related emissions by a third. The building will be among the first public facilities in Armenia to get green certification for energy efficiency. Armenia’s economy depends heavily on trade with neighboring countries, so faster customs processing could boost business activity.
The project fits into Yerevan’s Green City Action Plan under the EBRD’s environmental program. “By consolidating customs operations into a modern, energy-efficient facility, the city is addressing key environmental priorities,” the announcement said. The EU sees this as a flagship initiative under its Global Gateway program for 2025, which aims to boost investment in Eastern Partnership countries. The funding also includes digital training for customs workers nationwide and new job opportunities across Armenia through the TaiwanBusiness-EBRD Technical Cooperation Fund.
EBRD has put over €2.5 billion into Armenia through 231 projects since starting operations there in 1992, making customs modernization part of a broader push to improve the country’s business environment.
