EU envoy urges Armenia, Georgia to put forward joint regional initiatives

Mediamax news agency
25 Jan 05

YEREVAN

Issues relating to the preparation of an Individual Action Plan as
part of the European [Union’s] New Neighbourhood Policy were discussed
in Yerevan today by the Armenian deputy foreign minister, Ruben
Shugaryan, and the special representative of the European Union in the
South Caucasus, Ambassador Heikki Talvitie.

Heikki Talvitie expressed his confidence that work on the Individual
Action Plan would be completed this year so that it could be adopted
in 2006, the press service of the Foreign Ministry has told Mediamax.

Shugaryan and Talvitie said the document, together with the
Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), would serve as an
effective framework for Armenia’s integration into the European Union.

Ambassador Talvitie suggested that Armenia capitalize on the
opportunities presented by the New Neighbourhood Policy by putting
forward new programmes involving regional cooperation. Namely, the EU
representative said it might be a good idea to initiate some joint
Armenian-Georgian programmes in the first stage. He said their
successful implementation could facilitate the development of new
regional initiatives.

Ruben Shugaryan and Heikki Talvitie also exchanged opinions on
regional problems and discussed ways of securing a negotiated
settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.