EASTERN PARTNERSHIP WILL ENABLE ARMENIA TO ESTABLISH CLOSER TIES WITH EUROPE

PanARMENIAN.Net
06.05.2009 15:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ With this initiative, EU Eastern Partnership
seeks stable and reliable neighborhood with six countries – Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, RA Deputy Foreign
Minister Karine Kazinyan told a news conference today. "By proposing
such initiative EU seeks to establish partnership with neighbor
states. It’s one more step towards EU membership," she stressed,
noting at the same time that Eastern Partnership member states should
realize that partnership does not imply membership to EU. "Associate
membership agreement will be signed only with countries showing maximum
progress towards initiative implementation," Karine Kazinyan said.

According to her, Eastern Partnership envisages cooperation not only
in bilateral, but also in multilateral format. "The initiative aims
to establish cooperation among member states, despite the existing
conflicts. The countries are offered cooperation and partnership,"
Mrs. Kazinyan said, adding that Armenia views the initiative as
cooperation aimed at establishing closer ties with Europe. She
didn’t rule out the possibility of non-member states’ integration
to the project. "Before 2013, EU will allocate about 600 million
Euros. Eastern Partnership summits will be held once or twice a
year and member states’ Foreign Ministers will meet once per year,"
she reported.

Eastern Partnership is due for May 7 in Prague. Armenia will be
represented in person of President Serzh Sargsyan