RA PRIME MINISTER TIGRAN SARGSYAN RECEIVED EU SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE IN SOUTH CAUCASUS PETER SZEMNEBY

Thu rsday, 19 February 2009

RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan received EU Special Representative
in South Caucasus Peter Szemneby. In attendance were Head of EU
Delegation in Armenia, Ambassador Raul Lutzenberger, Polish Ambassador
to Armenia Tomas Knothe, French Ambassador to Armenia Serge Smessoff,
as well as advisers to EU Special Representative in South Caucasus.

The meeting agenda comprised a broad range of issues, including
the influence exercised by the global financial and economic crisis
on Armenia’s economics and government programs, as well as on the
internal political situation considering that social tensions usually
prove exacerbated as a result of emergencies. The parties have also
referred to the process of settling Armenia-Turkey ties and the status
of bilateral relations with other neighboring countries. At the request
of Mr. Szemneby, the Prime Minister stated the government’s readiness
to cooperate with all parliamentary and extra-parliamentary political
forces in Armenia and communicated their response to the authorities’
invitation for joint endeavors under a number of programs. Tigran
Sargsyan noted that similar invitations have been sent off on several
occasions, including from the floor the National Assembly.

Then, the Prime Minister briefed the guests on his government s
anti-crisis strategy by stressing that successful talks have been
held with various international financial institutions, inclusive of
the World Bank and the IMF: "We are getting ready to withstand a new
tide of challenges and, of course, we will need the support of our
partners from the European Union throughout the difficult period of
2009-2010. Our programs have to be reconsidered with a special focus
placed on social and investment-related projects," Tigran Sargsyan
said. He expressed hope that through collaboration with the European
structures Armenia will manage to overcome the adverse effect of
the global crisis. The head of the Armenian government advised that
a prime minister-headed commission and a national council have been
established with the view of coordinating the implementation of the
2009-2010 priority action plan.

The EU Special Representative underscored that like other European
Neighborhood Policy-involved countries, Armenia remains a focus for
the European Union and that the EU High Commissioner for Foreign
Policy and Security Javier Solana follows closely the developments in
both Armenia and the region, as a whole. Mr. Szemneby further noted
that the recent visit to our country of EU External Relations and
European Neighborhood Policy Commissioner, Dr Benita Ferrero-Waldner
evidenced the willingness of the European Union to raise to a new
qualitative level its relationship with Armenia. Concerning Armenia
‘s internal situation, Mr. Szemneby conveyed the Union’s keen interest
in our country’s political stability, as well as in Armenia’s taking
open and transparent steps to overcome the aftermath of the March
1 events. Regarding the settlement of Armenia-Turkey relations, the
Special Representative indicated that both of these States are key
partners for the European Union and, therefore, the EU will continue
backing this process.