YEREVAN, MARCH 5, ARMENPRESS. Following the meeting in Brussels Prime MIniste rof Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and President of the European Council Donald Tusk issues a statement for media.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister of Armenia, PM Pashinyan said,

“Honorable President Tusk,

Dear representatives of mass media,

This is my second meeting with President Tusk in Brussels and the 1^st one since my re-appointment as Prime Minister of Armenia. I want to thank you, Mr. President, for the warm reception and the productive and targeted discussions.

During the today’s discussions we touched upon numerous issues, starting from the democratic transformations in Armenia to regional and international developments. We are glad to underline the high level political dialogue and cooperation level between Armenia and the EU. I emphasized that Armenia is very resolve and has the political will to deepen the partnership with the EU.

During the discussions we referred to the early parliamentary elections in Armenia, which were assessed by the international community as one fully meeting the criteria of the best European practice.

There was unprecedented public trust towards those elections in Armenia. In this context, we also highly appreciate the European assistance to the successful organization of electoral processes.

The dynamic political changes in our country, as well as the democratic elections brought Armenia and the EU closer in terms of common values. I am proud for the democracy of Armenia is no longer under risk.

I highly assess the technical and financial assistance of the EU to the democratic and economic reform agenda of our Government, that includes fight against corruption, fostering democracy and strengthening rule of law.

New Armenia is ready to make continuous efforts and propose new ideas and initiatives to enrich the cooperation agenda with the EU and its Member States. I am glad for our European friends and colleagues have a similar opinion and vision on our bilateral agenda.

We have the willingness to implement this ambitious agenda, based on the solid mandate that our citizens and compatriots granted us, as well as on the durable assistance of our international partners.

During our discussion we referred to the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, which is a key tool for expanding bilateral relations and the implementation of the reform agenda.  

We shared the opinion that the maximally soon ratification of the agreement by all the Member States is of key importance and will allow to make a full use of all the opportunities provided by this agreement, that have been temporarily been implemented since June 2018. In this context, we discussed the ways for accelerating the ratification process.

We also discussed the visa liberalization process. The citizens of Armenia expect to have the opportunity to freely travel to Europe in the near future. We hope that a political decision will be recorded for this issue, since it will be a tangible effect for our citizens and will make our partnership more visible.

During the meeting with President Tusk we also referred to the upcoming 10^th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership. I reaffirmed our readiness to be actively involved in the preparatory works of the 10^th anniversary events of the Eastern Partnership.

We also discussed regional issues. We highly assess the balanced position of the EU on Nagorno Karabakh conflict, that supports the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs, their positions and efforts. It’s a valuable contribution to the ensuring of peace and stability in our region.

I reaffirmed that Armenia is committed to an exclusively peaceful settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Finally, I want to express confidence that the ongoing dialogue and the effective discussions will foster the future strengthening of our partnership and the implementation of the mutually beneficial bilateral agenda in all the areas.

Let me once again thank you, Mr. President, for the warm reception”.

President of the European Council Donald Tusk said,

“I welcome you, Mr. Prime Minister. I am glad to again meet you in Brussels.

First of all, I would like to thank you for visiting Brussels so frequently following your impressive victory in the elections in December and the oath taking of your Government.

The values of your Government and the reforms based on those values are deeply esteemed in Europe. I am admired by your determination to carry out democratic reforms and economic development from which all Armenians will benefit.

The EU will continue to support Armenia in becoming a more consolidated democracy and creating a better economic future for its citizens.

We are determined to keep the promise to implement the Comprehensive and Advanced Partnership Agreement, which will beneficial for both Armenia and the European Union. The overwhelming part of the agreement has already been temporarily applied and has a real impact. The EU is Armenia's largest exporting partner, with a share of over 28% of Armenia's exports.

This agreement is being implemented in parallel with domestic reforms. The EU is ready to continue to support your reform process with extensive technical and financial support. We agree with your strong emphasis on the fight against corruption and the rule of law in the reform process.

Today we discussed the issue of Nagorno Karabakh conflict. As you know, the EU fully supports the Minsk Group Co-chairs and their proposals. I am inspired by the recent contacts between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan and welcome the current decline of tension in the region.

The EU continues to believe that the status quo is unstable: the conflict does not have a military solution and needs a quick political settlement in accordance with international law. Preparing the population for peace is an important step toward the settlement that we are ready to support.

I also thank the Prime Minister for Armenia’s valuable contribution to the Eastern Partnership. The Partnership celebrates its 10th anniversary in May. We agreed to meet again to discuss the progress that has been made over the past 10 years. So I look forward to seeing you again after two months, during the May jubilee celebrations in Brussels. "

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan