EDWARD NALBANDIAN: THE EUROPEAN UNION IS A RELIABLE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC PARTNER FOR ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Apr 7, 2010

YEREVAN, APRIL 7, NOYAN TAPAN. Cooperation with the European Union
continues to be one of the important directions of Armenia’s foreign
policy, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian declared at the
April 6 joint press conference with Commissioner for EU Enlargement
and Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule.

E. Nalbandian said that the EU is a reliable political and economic
partner for Armenia. "The Armenia-EU relations are currently at the
stage of dynamic development, and the start of the Eastern Partnership
project raised our cooperatiion with the EU to a new qualitative
level. In this respect the Armenian side attaches special importance
to the signing of a free trade agreement, the liberalization of the
visa regime, and the start of negotiations on signing an association
agreement," the Armenian foreign minister stated.

The strengthening of Eastern Partnership was discussed at the meeting
of E. Nalbandian and S. Fule, and the two sides expressed a hope that
cooperation would expand in both bilateral and multilateral formats.

International and regional problems and the ways of their solution
were also discussed during the meeting.

Responding to a reporter’s question, E. Nalbandian said that there
was no change in the position of the Armenian side on recognition of
the status of Nagorno Karabakh.

"We have repeatedly stated that, and not only we, but also the
Co-Chairs realize that the major issue of the Karabakh problem
solution is the recognition and exercise of the Karabakh people’s
right to self-determination. In line with the indicated context, the
statement of the country’s president speaks of that. If this major
issue is solved, it will be easier to discuss the other issues and
find decisions and solutions to them," the foreign minister said.