On Thursday 20 September, Mr. Avet Adonts, Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on European Integration received Mr. Raul de Luzenberger, Chargé d’Affaires of the Delegation of the European Union to Armenia, and Sylvie Bavelaar, who is responsible for Political Desk of the Delegation. Mr. Armen Ashotyan and Mr. Vahe Hovhannisyan, members of the Committee, were also present at the meeting.

Mr. Adonts presented the fields of activities the Committee is working in and the Committee’s role in the European integration process, noted the importance of collaboration with the Armenian-European Policy and Legal Advice Center (AEPLAC), especially in the sphere of approximation of Armenian laws to the acquis communautaire, and emphasized the need to have legal bases for such collaboration. According to Mr. Adonts, it would be expedient to establish a structure in the government (executive), which would co-ordinate the overall process of European integration along with the NA Standing Committee.

Mr. Raul de Luzenberger welcomed the establishment of the Standing Committee on European Integration in the National Assembly and shared his experience in European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) in different countries, including Moldova and Ukraine, with the members of the Committee. He paid special attention to two important tasks of the Committee – harmonization of legislation and oversight over the process of ENP Action Plan implementation, and noted that it is necessary to strive so that drafts and new laws were in line with European standards. 

Both parties agreed that the achieved agreements and the implementation of programs should be kept in the limelight and expressed their willingness for active collaboration on these matters.

At the end of the meeting Mr. de Luzenberger informed that this year Ukraine and Morocco have been recognized as the best performers of ENP Action Plan, and that next year he would like to see Armenia in that list. 

Other issues of co-operation were also discussed during the meeting.