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    Categories: 2017

Armenia by its own experience proved the combination of different integration processes – Head of Armenian Mission to EU

Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
 Friday


Armenia by its own experience proved the combination of different
integration processes – Head of Armenian Mission to EU



YEREVAN, DECEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. By signing the Comprehensive and
Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the European Union, Armenia
showed by its own experience that it is possible to combine different
integration processes benefiting from and to everyone which unites
rather than divides, Armenia’s Ambassador to Belgium, Head of the
Armenian Mission to the European Union Tatul Margaryan said in an
exclusive interview to ARMENPRESS.

He talked about the Armenia-EU cooperation and prospects of further
developing the relations, as well as the CEPA provisions relating to
economic cooperation and other spheres.

-Mr. Ambassador, 2017 comes to its end which was distinguished by
high-level visits and meetings in Armenia-EU ties. The last three
years are assessed as especially active in terms of the Armenia-EU
partnership.

-The development of relations with the EU is among Armenia’s foreign
policy priority directions and in this sense the high-level mutual
visits, the continuous political dialogue between the sides at
different levels allow to thoroughly speak about the issues of
bilateral agenda, as well as international and regional developments.
At the same time, Armenia made efforts to further intensify the
partnership with the EU structures, member states, the concrete forms
and directions aimed at further deepening the relations have been
outlined on the sidelines of the CEPA preparation process and
expansion of sectoral cooperation with the EU.

In this regard the frequency of mutual visits and different events was
really impressive. In July 2015 the President of the European Council
Donald Tusk and in March 2016 the EU High Representative for Foreign
Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the European Commission
Federica Mogherini visited Armenia. In February 2017 Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan visited Brussels on a working visit. The
President’s visits and participation in the EPP summits are being held
on a regular basis. The Armenian foreign minister also regularly meets
with the EU high-ranking officials both at the bilateral and
multilateral formats within the frames of the Eastern Partnership.
Moreover, numerous high-level events and forums at the Eastern
Partnership format were held in Armenia, as well as expert-level
meetings. And of course, the most important was the Armenian
President’s participation in the Eastern Partnership’s 5th Summit in
Brussels on November 24 where the signing ceremony of the Armenia-EU
new agreement was held.

-Mr. Ambassador, what are the concrete practical achievements in the
Armenia-EU relations? What are the expectations from the agreement
regarding the future development, how will it affect the further
development of Armenia-EU ties?

-First of all I want to state that Armenia is one of the EU’s partners
which completely implemented all its commitments assumed at the Riga
Summit in 2015. Previously, Armenia jointed the COSME and Horizon 2020
programs, initialed the agreement on Common Aviation Area, completed
the talks on joining the Creative Europe program. Moreover, the
Armenia-EU partnership agenda has expanded covering the road
infrastructures. The EU is the largest donor of Armenia.

Among the priorities of our bilateral agenda is the promotion of
movement. Over the past three years Armenia and EU actively implement
the agreement on visa facilitation and readmission, and the launch of
the dialogue on visa liberalization should become the next logical
step. This is also stated in the declaration of the Brussels summit.

The EU remains a key trading partner for Armenia. Since 2009 Armenia
uses the EU’s GSP+ privileged regime according to which 6.400 types of
Armenian products are imported to the markets of the EU states at zero
or reduced customs rates.

In response to your question I want to state that those who had a
chance to get familiarized with the text of the new agreement I think
will agree that the CEPA is an ambitious and comprehensive document.
The agreement strengthens the comprehensive political and economic
partnership and cooperation between Armenia and the EU based on common
values, and puts a beginning for the Armenia-EU more effective
bilateral partnership, reflects Armenia’s determination to continue
the reforms by strengthening the democratic institutions. By the
agreement the sides reaffirm their commitments to the principles of
free market economy, sustainable development, regional and effective
multilateral cooperation.

At the same time it is obvious that in line with being an important
achievement, the signing of the CEPA is not an end in itself, rather
it aims at improving the living standards of our citizens and supposes
a targeted work of the sides in order to record tangible results.

Full interview is available in Armenian.

Karlen Baghdasarian:
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