DEMOCRATIC REFORMS HAVE NO ALTERNATIVE IN ARMENIA, RA SECURITY COUNCIL SECRETARY STATES

Noyan Tapan
Oct 28, 2008

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 28, NOYAN TAPAN. RA President Serzh Sargsyan’s coming
visit to Brussels will contribute to strengthening of contacts bewteen
the European Union and Armenia. Artur Baghdasarian, the Secretary
of the RA Security Council, stated at the October 28 international
conference under the title European Neighborhood Program is Two Years
Old: Progress, Challenges, and Future.

According to him, cooperation with European structures is one of the
most important directions of Armenia’s foreign policy. He assured that
democratic reforms have no alternative in Armenia. A. Baghdasarian
said that Armenia will submit for EU’s consideration a Program of
Cooperation with EU for 2009-2010 within the framework of the New
European Neigborhood Policy.

Ambassador Raul de Luzenberg, the head of the European Commission
delegation, expressed satisfaction with the course of fulfillment
of the EU-Armenia Actions Plan signed in November 2006. Meanwhile,
according to him, there is still much to do. R. Luzenberg
also touched upon the post-electoral situation in Armenia and
characterized post-electoral processes as complicated. Ambassador
Sergei Kapinos, the head of OSCE Yerevan Office, also expressed
an analogous opinion. According to him, the complicated situation
formed after the elections made both the Armenian authorities and
international organizations fall to thinking. S. Kapinos assured that
the international organizations are interested in democratic and stable
Armenia, which will contribute to stability and security in the region.

It should be mentioned that the conference has been organized by
the International Center for Human Development with the support
of the British Development Department, OSCE, Council of Europe,
Yerevan representation of the European Commission and Ebert Fund. The
conference will continue on October 29.