Is it true that the European Union directed € 31 million to the integration of LGBT price in Armenia?

In early December 2022, Russian-speaking telegram channels circumvented the news about significant financial assistance from the EU for the previous year in support of sexual minorities in the territory of the South Caucasus Republic. We checked whether this news is true.

The most popular news option was like this (spelling saved):

“The EU sent 31 million euros for the integration of LGBT price in Armenia.

Civil organizations existing under the auspices of the tolerant EU will be sponsored. For a country with a population of about 3 million people, large-scale protrusions, “British” attitude to pedophiles and parents under numbers (instead of mom and dad) will be able to undermine mutual respect between Russians and Armenians.

Industrialization in Armenia, industry and other “leverage” on Europe in a country neighboring Russia, is not needed. ”

This text was distributed by channels "Bullet" (174,000 views), "From the scene" (142 000), "Ostashko! Important" (112 000), "Russian format" (78 000), "Summary" (21,000) and others.

Chronologically the first with this publication was the channel “Ostashko! Important ”, on which the news appeared on December 6 at 18:20 in Moscow. Moreover, it, like some similar posts, was accompanied by a picture with English text:

The heading of the news in the screenshot in Russian looks like this: “Armenia: in 2021, the EU allocated € 31 million to support civil society organizations.”

Such news really exists: in particular, December 5 with the same illustration Placed On the website of the Eastern Partnership - a project of the European Union for the Development of Integration Relations with six countries of the former USSR. The material itself is about the financing of a total of 31 projects, as well as the additional support of another 140 organizations according to the schemes of subrogants. As for the affected areas, the “wide range of thematic areas” is mentioned in the text - in particular, 41% of the funds, it is alleged, was aimed at improving the quality of education and the development of skills. For more information, it is proposed to go through link The video rod, placed on the official page of the EU representative office in Armenia. It says that "the European Union continues to support the civil society of Armenia, concentrating on the creation of an environment favorable for the emergence of civil society organizations, strengthening its role as a defender of interests and observer in issues of public policy." Next, the numbers from the text press release are repeated-more detailed information about the direction of the allocated funds is not given.

Thus, in the primary source, the news, which, obviously, refer to Telegram, there is nothing about LGBT TEMMATIONS. According to the terminology of the World Bank, accepted Including at the UN, the organization of civil society (wow) is “a wide many formal and informal organizations: public groups, non -governmental organizations (NGOs), trade unions, groups of indigenous peoples, charitable and religious organizations, professional associations and funds”. From the review previous activities on this topic, as well as from Roadmap of the EU On issues of interaction with civil society in Armenia, at 2021–2027, it follows that funds are allocated, including to combat corruption, education, health and environmental protection. Therefore, the statement about € 31 million on the integration of LGBT-price in Armenia, which has circled up a lot of Telegram channels in this format is false.

At the same time, the financing of the LGBT community of Armenia from the EU most likely took place. So, in the regional proposal for EU grants (September 2021) for Wo as one of the possible topics It appears Protection of minority rights, including LGBT. In addition, one of the donors of the oldest and largest Armenian LGBT organization Pink It is listed Organization of ILGA-EUROPE. In 2021 the last Received From the European Commission € 1.2 million for its activities, and with high probability some share of these funds went to Armenia.

Photo on the cover: Pinkarmenia.org

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