ARMENIA, EU TO SIGN COOPERATION PLAN IN NOVEMBER

Agence France Presse — English
October 2, 2006 Monday 6:24 PM GMT

Armenia and the European Union will sign a joint action plan on
cooperation on November 14, Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja
and his Armenian counterpart Vardan Oskanian said Monday.

"This is a document of historic importance for us that invites
Armenia to participate in an intense dialogue with the EU and in
the integration process," said Oskanian, adding however that it was
premature to talk about Armenia actually joining the EU.

Tuomioja said the plan, part of the EU’s neighbourhood policy, would
lead to significantly enhanced economic and political cooperation.

This poverty-stricken Caucasian former Soviet republic, still at
odds with its neighbour Azerbaijan after a war in the early 1990s,
has traditionally maintained close ties with Russia but has also
declared integration with the West to be a priority.

French President Jacques Chirac visited here at the weekend and
praised the Armenian people, also urging Turkey to recognise World
War I-era massacres of Armenians as genocide.