HANS WINKLER: WE BELIEVE IN CLOSE COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA
YEREVAN, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The joint press
conference of RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian and head of the
delegation of EU Troika, State Secretary of Austrian Foreign Ministry
Hans Winkler was dedicated to issues of development of cooperation
between Armenia and European Union, as well as to summing up of the
results of the delegation’s visit to Armenia.
The participants of the press conference gave a high estimation
to the results of Troyka’s visit to Armenia, as well as to current
negotiations between Armenia and EU dedicated to discussion of the
Actions Plan. The work at the latter will be over soon as the third
stage of the negotiations will start already in early May. Vartan
Oskanian estimated cooperation between RA and EU as “extensive
and deep” and expressed the hope that further discussion of issues
regarding Armenia’s integration to European structures will bring
effective results. In his turn, Hans Winkler emphasized that the
South Caucasus is a very important region for EU. “EU is interested
in close cooperation with the South Caucasus and considers that the
negotiations on the Actions Plan are a basis for further development
of cooperation between EU and the South Caucasus.
We also believe in close cooperation with Armenia”. According to
him, EU attaches great importance to human rights and development
of democratic processes in Armenia. As for the fact why EU is so
reserved in its reaction towards the violations during the elections
in Armenia and whether EU has a differentiated approach to Armenia
in this issue, Hans Winkler answered: “EU applies general approaches
towards all countries. I think it is clear what we expect from the
elections and there should not be incomprehension here”. Issues
regarding the sphere of energy, including diversification of energy
sources, took a special place at the press conference. Hans Winkler
confirmed the interest of EU in closing the Armenian Nuclear Power
Plant as provision of security on it does not correspond to the
current international standards. Meanwhile, he mentioned that each
country has its strategy in this sphere and has the right to solve
its problems itself. As for the possible consequences for Armenia
of the fact that almost all entities appeared in RF’s hands, Vartan
Oskanian said that diversification does not depend on the circumstance
in whose hands the energy entities are, the most important here is
diversification of sources of energy production and ways of supply
of energy carriers. “Of course, we would like diversification to
be in the issue of countries, too, but it came so that none of the
countries except Russia expressed interest in this issue,” Oskanian
declared. He admitted that indeed the most part of the Armenian energy
entities appeared in the hands of one state, whereas, in his opinion,
everything depends on the clauses of these agreements: “I think these
agreements completely protect our energy security”.