DOCUMENT ON ADOPTION OF EU-ARMENIA ACTION PLAN SIGNED

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Nov 14 2006

BRUSSELS, NOVEMBER 14, NOYAN TAPAN. The 7th plenary sitting of the
EU-Armenia Cooperation Council took place in Brussels on November 14.

During the sitting, the EU-Armenia Action Plan within the framework
of the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) was approved and took force.

According to the RA MFA Press and Information Department, the
Armenian delegation is headed by the Armenian Co-chair of the
EU-Armenia Cooperation Council, Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian. Representatives of the EU Presidency: Finland’s Minister
of Foreign Trade and Development Paola Lehtomaki, State Minister of
Germany Gunter Glosser, the EU Special Representative to the South
Caucasus Peter Semneby – are participating in the sitting from the
European side.

P. Lehtomaki opened the sitting, followed by the introductory speech
of the Armenian foreign minister. The EU representative expressed a
high opinion about the Action Plan jointly developed by the EU and
Armenia, asserting the EU’s willingness to start the implementation
of the document’s provisions.

Then the participants addressed the council’s agenda. Various political
issues, including domestic reforms, and human rights issues were
discussed. There was an exchange of opinions on energy issues.

The Armenian side presented the work on diversification of energy
sources in Armenia, particularly the process of constructing the
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline.

The ceremony of the official adoption of the EU-Armenia Action Plan
within the framework of the ENP took place after the sitting. With
this aim, the Armenian Foreign Minister V. Oskanian and the Finnish
Minister of Foreign Trade and Development P. Lehtomaki signed the
respective document.

The implementation of the action plan envisages the opportunity of
passing from cooperation to a higher level of integration, including
the opportunity of Armenia’s participation in the EU domestic market
and the EU policy and programs in their key direction. The ENP Action
Plan proposes that Armenia establish intensive political, security,
economic and cultural relations with the EU. It is envisaged to
extend and deepen the political cooperation for further development
of mechanisms of political dialog.

The document’s adoption provides an opportunity to implement a whole
package of reforms, up to signing of a new-generation agreement with a
higher status, with the assistance of the European side. As a result
of the document’s implementation, the social, political and economic
systems of Armenia will get closer to the European ones.

The Action Plan attaches special importance to the economic cooperation
of Armenia and the EU: additional financial assistance of the EU,
deepening of trade and economic relations, harmonization of the
economic legislation, continuous reduction of commercial non-tariff
restructions, which will promote investments, export and economic
growth. The EU’s financial assistance to Armenia will also be expressed
through the European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI)
proposed by the European commission, which will include the main
part of the EU’s financial assistance and will be used for purposes
of transborder and international cooperation.

During the second part of the day, a regular meeting of the foreign
ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan with the participation of the
OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs will take place.