1 / 7

On March 20 Hovik Abrahamyan, President of the RA National Assembly, received the delegation Directorate General of the European Commission. led by the Director Gunnar Wiegand, Director for Eastern Europe, Southern Caucasus and Central Asia of the External Relations.

Welcoming Gunnar Wiegand and the members of the delegation, who arrived in Yerevan on the occasion of taking part in the 12^th round of the negotiations of the EU-Armenia Association Agreement, Hovik Abrahamyan has expressed his satisfaction about the positive results, which has been recorded in the current negotiations. He has noted that Armenia-EU relations are rather full, and there are good preconditions for advancing the agenda of the cooperation both at the level of executive and legislative bodies. To the NA President’s assessment, the progress is considerable in the negotiations over Armenia-European Union Association Agreement, which was launched in July 2010. In his word, that progress testifies to the high readiness of two sides, as well as to the commonness of the approaches and pictures over the main problems. The Head of the Parliament has expressed confidence that the Association will give new force and quality to the bilateral relations. Touching upon the provisions on creating Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area as an important part of the Association Agreement, the NA President has noted that in connection with that the RA-EU negotiations launched from June 2012 successfully go on, and the Armenian side is intended to manage to end them until the Vilnius Summit in 2013.

Thanking for the warm reception Gunnar Wiegand has recalled the previous visit paid by him and the EU high ranking leadership to the National Assembly, which serve as an undoubted evidence that there is a political will for establishing closer and deep relations. He has highly appreciated the Armenian MPs’ readiness of supporting this process, and its evidence is also the visit paid by the RA NA President Hovik Abrahamyan to Brussels. “We are resolute and confident and we will continue our cooperation kneading it with firmer ties”,- said the Head of the Negotiating Group. According to him, it’s not about formal or symbolic relations, but it’s about much more about material cooperation, which will assist Armenia’s economic and political reforms. In fact, it’s not about Armenia’s assumed obligations, but it’s also about the obligations of the EU towards the RA, which also includes certain financial assistance. “The ideas, notions can be summed up in the agreements, but it’s very important that we give them practical content”, Gunnar Wiegand noted. In his word, by signing the Agreement, the process does not end, but only by that the beginning is announced, and in future the active work of all circles, including the legislative body is important. Gunnar Wiegand has expressed hope that after signing the Agreement the National Assembly will immediately launch its ratification. According to him, it is expected that the pre-signing of the document will take place at the Vilnius Summit in 2013.

Hovik Abrahamyan has assured that the RA NA will ratify the Agreement as soon as possible. In his word, the National Assembly has permanently focused on the procedure of the negotiations over the Association Agreement and has operatively made legislative amendments in harmony with European standards, which also stem from the RA internal agenda.

The sides also touched other issues.