EU-Armenia Action Plan Officially Adopted

November 14 the 7th sitting of the Armenia-EU Cooperation Council was held in Brussels. The Action Plan of Armenia and the European Union was ratified and came into force during the sitting.

The Armenian delegation was headed by the Armenian Co-Chair of the Cooperation Council, RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian. From the European Union the meeting was attended by EU Presidency representatives - Minister of Foreign Trade and Development of Finland Paola Lehtomaki, German Secretary of State Gunter Glusser, EU Special Envoy for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby, other European Commission officials.

The meeting was opened by Paola Lehtomaki, following which RA Foreign Minister addressed the meeting. The EU Representative highly assessed the jointly elaborated Armenia-EU Action Plan, emphasizing EU's willingness to start accomplishing the provisions of the document.

Latter reference was made to the agenda of the Council. Discussions focused on political question including domestic reforms and human rights issues. Views were exchanged on energy issues. The Armenian side presented the activities in the direction of diversification of energy sources, particularly the process of construction of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline.

The sitting was followed by the ceremony of official adoption of the EU-Armenia Action Plan in the framework of the European Neighborhood Program. RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian and Minister Lehtomaki signed a corresponding document.

The adoption of the document allows to implement a whole package of reforms with EU assistance. In the result of the implementation of the document, Armenia's social, political and economic systems will come close to European ones.

The Action Plan attaches particular importance to the economic cooperation of Armenia and the EU. EU financial assistance will be expressed in the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument proposed by the European Commission.

In the evening the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan will hold the recurrent meeting, featuring the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

Source: Public Radio of Armenia www.armradio.am