EU-ARMENIA COOPERATION 8th SITTING HELD IN LUXEMBURG

Noyan Tapan
Oct 16, 2007

LUXEMBURG, OCTOBER 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The EU-Armenia Cooperation
8th sitting was held on October 18 in Luxemburg. The Armenian
interdepartmental delegation was led by RA Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanian. On the part of Europe the sitting was presided over by Manuil
Lobo Antunish, the Portuguese State Secretary for European Issues.

As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry Press and
Information Department, the process of implementation of Armenia-EU
Actions Plan of EU New Neighborhood Policy, issues of political,
economic, and energy cooperation were discussed at the sitting. Among
the political issues, a special attention was paid to settlement of
conflicts, process of reforms being implemented in Armenia, upcoming
presidential elections, and human rights.

V. Oskanian stated that Armenia is resolute to continue painful,
but necessary reforms, to bring political standards closer to the
European level. He said that the New Neighborhood Policy implemented
with EU is a guideline for Armenia’s economic reforms.

Mentioning that Armenia is gradually and consistently becoming closer
to Europe in the respect of development of democracy, State Secretary
M. Antunish reaffirmed EU’s readiness to continue all-round assistance
to Armenia. He emphasized that EU expects bolder steps, in particular,
pointing out to media’s role in the preelection period.