ARMENIA VIEWS EASTERN PARTNERSHIP AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET CLOSER TO EUROPE
Karen Ghazaryan

"Radiolur"
06.05.2009 15:22

Six countries included in the Eastern Partnership Initiative will
participate in tomorrow’s summit in the Czech Republic alongside
the 27 members of the European Union. The Deputy Foreign Minister
of Armenia, Karine Ghazinyan, told a press conference today that the
participants of the summit will sign a declaration on the launch of
the Eastern Partnership Program.

According to the Deputy Foreign Minister, the cooperation within
the framework of that program will focus on the development of
democracy in partner states, energy security, market economy and
stable development. The European Union will allocate a total of $600
million for the implementation of the program.

"Armenia views its inclusion in the Eastern Partnership Program as
an opportunity to come closer to Europe. The Eastern Partnership,
initiated by Poland and Sweden, has had its ides since last spring,
and Europe wants to see its neighbours as reliable and stable countries
cooperating with each other.

"Actually, the Eastern Partnership is a more active and deeper version
of the European Neighbourhood Policy, which provides an opportunity
to proceed form European neighbourhood to close cooperation," she said.