EUROPEAN UNION HIGHLY ESTIMATES ECONOMIC REFORMS IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Oct 31 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, NOYAN TAPAN. Issues connected with implementation
of the Agreement on Partnership and Cooperation signed between Armenia
and European Union, approval and implementation of the Actions Plan
worked out within the framework of the European Neighborhood policy
were discussed at the 7th sitting of RA-EU Cooperation Committee held
on October 25 in Brussels. Karen Chshmaritian, RA Minister of Trade and
Economic Development, Co-chairman of RA-EU Cooperation Committee, said
this at the October 31 press conference. In his words, the European
party highly estimated economic reforms implemented in Armenia and
emphasized the necessity to continue measures aimed at stability of
economic growth. It was mentioned that at the sitting, an agreement was
reached on continuing cooperation in spheres of providing security of
the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant and using alternative energy sources
in Armenia. In K.Chshmaritian’s words, issues relating to perfection
of legislation after RA constitutional reform, fighting corruption
in Armenia, democracy and human rights, Nagorno Karabakh problem,
RA-Turkey relations, programs of assistance provided to RA by EU were
discussed at the sitting. The Minister said that the Armenian party
drew attention to inappropriate complication of procedure of granting
permits of entering Schengen agreement countries for Armenians in the
recent period. An agreement was reached to include this question in
the sitting’s protocol. As the Minister said, the European side made
sure that delay in giving of the status of a country with a market
economy to Armenia has purely technical character and is connected
with internal procedure issues.

K.Chshmaritian also reported that the issue of this status was
discussed with the Head of the European Commission General Trade
Management at the October 26 meeting. Possibilities of establishing
a free trade regime between RA and EU, as well as issue of creating
EU Information Center in Armenia were also discussed.