ENP CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN BRUSSELS
PanARMENIAN.Net
03.09.2007 14:43 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On 3 September, Benita Ferrero-Waldner,
Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood
Policy, will host in Brussels the first ever meeting of Ministers
and other representatives from all of the countries covered by the
European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) with their counterparts from the
European Union. This international conference: "Working Together –
Strengthening the European Neighborhood Policy", organized and hosted
by the European Commission, will include a ministerial-level morning
session, which will focus particularly on the opportunities for trade
liberalization, mobility, and the challenges of climate change and
energy security. The afternoon session will open up the debate to
other stakeholders including business groupings and non-governmental
organizations. The conference will be opened by Jose Manuel Barroso,
President of the Commission, Luis Amado, Foreign Minister of Portugal
and the current EU Presidency, and Benita Ferrero-Waldner.
Benita Ferrero-Waldner said: "This is a partnership of equals and
it is essential that we listen carefully to the aspirations of our
neighbors. I believe it is time to bring together all partners to
exchange ideas on the strengthening of this policy. We would like to
hear our neighbors’ views: where should we place the greatest emphasis
in our relations? Where do they see their interests reflected, and
where, perhaps, they still feel that there are gaps to be filled?"
She added: "We have set out a number of areas in which we want to
further develop our relationship with our neighbors, especially with
regard to trade, mobility and economic support. The EU offers every
neighbor country the chance to choose its own path. Those who want to
advance relations through the ENP are already seeing their commitment
matched with new opportunities. This conference will underline the EU’s
determination to develop individual and differentiated partnership
that reflects the interest of each neighbor," reported the press
office of the delegation of the European Commission to Armenia.
Armenia will be represented at the conference by Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian.