8TH SITTING OF THE ARMENIA-EU COOPERATION COUNCIL HELD IN LUXEMBURG

armradio.am
16.10.2007 17:55

October 16 the recurrent 8th sitting of the Armenia-EU Cooperation
Council was held in Luxemburg. The Armenian interagency delegation
comprising representatives of the Ministries of Trade and Economic
Development, Finance and Energy, was headed by RA Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian. From the European side the Council’s sitting was
chaired by Portugal’s State Secretary for European Affairs Manual
Lobo Antunes.

At the beginning of the meeting the parties stated Armenian President
Robert Kocharyan’s visit to Belgium last week marked the continuation
of the political dialogue between Armenia and the European Union.

Issues concerning the process of implementation of the Armenia-EU
Action Plan of the European Neighborhood Policy, questions of
political, economic and energy cooperation were discussed. Special
attention was paid to the settlement of conflicts, the process of
reforms underway in Armenia, presidential elections and human rights
issues. Minister Oskanian presented the political and economic reforms,
noting that Armenia is decisive to continue the painful but necessary
reforms to bring the political standards closer to the level of
European ones. He noted that the Action Plan is a guiding line for
the economic reforms in Armenia.

The European side noted that progress and results are visible. The rise
of macroeconomic indices and the reforms in the judicial sphere were
greatly appreciated. Noting that Armenia is gradually and steadily
approaching Europe with regard to democratic development, State
Secretary Antunes reconfirmed EU’s willingness to the comprehensive
support to Armenia. He underlined that the European Union anticipates
more courageous steps, particularly pointing to the role of mass
media in the election period.

Reference was made to the poverty reduction program implemented in
Armenia, cooperation in the fields of energy and economy.

The sitting of the Armenia-EU Cooperation Council was followed by
a joint press conference, featuring the heads of Armenian, Georgian
and Azerbaijani delegations and the EU presidency.