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ARMENIA NOT FOUND IN VILNIUS SUMMIT DRAFT DECLARATION
A draft of the European Union's Vilnius summit declaration seen by
RFE/RL acknowledges the European "aspirations" of its six Eastern
Partnership countries but has left a blank space regarding EU-Armenia
relations.
The final text of the declaration is expected to be endorsed by the
heads of government of the EU member states -- as well as officials
from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine -- at
the Eastern Partnership summit in the Lithuanian capital on November
28-29. It should serve both as a template of what has been achieved
so far and what is expected to happen ahead of the next summit in 2015.
The most fought-over paragraph in the declaration has been one about
the status of the relationship of the six partner countries to the EU.
The current draft states that the "summit acknowledges the sovereign
right of each member state to choose its ambition and final goal
of its relations with the European Union." The wording on "European
aspirations" is similar to the declaration issued after the previous
Eastern Partnership summit in Warsaw in 2011 and is weaker than what
some pro-enlargement EU member states want.
There is also a paragraph in brackets welcoming the signature of an
Association Agreement together with a Deep and Comprehensive Free
Trade Areas (DCFTA) pact with Ukraine and the initialing of the same
agreement with Georgia and Moldova. The progress made in Association
Agreement negotiations with Azerbaijan is also welcomed, with Brussels
indicating its readiness to commence talks on a DCFTA.
No wording is ready yet for Armenia after Yerevan announced that
it wants to join a Russian-led Customs Union. EU diplomats say a
memorandum of understanding of future cooperation might be signed
instead.
Very little is so far mentioned about the various frozen conflicts in
the partner countries, but Georgia has inserted a line which reads,
"Participants emphasize the need for the full implementation of the
mandate of the EUMM (European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia)
of the whole territory of Georgia and to its future strengthening
and reiterate their support for the Geneva international discussions."
It is likely that Moldova will try to insert something similar about
Transdniester, whereas it is unclear if Armenia or Azerbaijan want
to mention the frozen conflict of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The draft declaration is currently being discussed among EU diplomats
and officials from the six partnership countries and is scheduled to
be endorsed first by EU ambassadors at a meeting in mid-November.
Rikard Jozwiak, Radio Liberty 17:27 01/11/2013 Story from Lragir.am
News: http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/politics/view/31223
A draft of the European Union's Vilnius summit declaration seen by
RFE/RL acknowledges the European "aspirations" of its six Eastern
Partnership countries but has left a blank space regarding EU-Armenia
relations.
The final text of the declaration is expected to be endorsed by the
heads of government of the EU member states -- as well as officials
from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine -- at
the Eastern Partnership summit in the Lithuanian capital on November
28-29. It should serve both as a template of what has been achieved
so far and what is expected to happen ahead of the next summit in 2015.
The most fought-over paragraph in the declaration has been one about
the status of the relationship of the six partner countries to the EU.
The current draft states that the "summit acknowledges the sovereign
right of each member state to choose its ambition and final goal
of its relations with the European Union." The wording on "European
aspirations" is similar to the declaration issued after the previous
Eastern Partnership summit in Warsaw in 2011 and is weaker than what
some pro-enlargement EU member states want.
There is also a paragraph in brackets welcoming the signature of an
Association Agreement together with a Deep and Comprehensive Free
Trade Areas (DCFTA) pact with Ukraine and the initialing of the same
agreement with Georgia and Moldova. The progress made in Association
Agreement negotiations with Azerbaijan is also welcomed, with Brussels
indicating its readiness to commence talks on a DCFTA.
No wording is ready yet for Armenia after Yerevan announced that
it wants to join a Russian-led Customs Union. EU diplomats say a
memorandum of understanding of future cooperation might be signed
instead.
Very little is so far mentioned about the various frozen conflicts in
the partner countries, but Georgia has inserted a line which reads,
"Participants emphasize the need for the full implementation of the
mandate of the EUMM (European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia)
of the whole territory of Georgia and to its future strengthening
and reiterate their support for the Geneva international discussions."
It is likely that Moldova will try to insert something similar about
Transdniester, whereas it is unclear if Armenia or Azerbaijan want
to mention the frozen conflict of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The draft declaration is currently being discussed among EU diplomats
and officials from the six partnership countries and is scheduled to
be endorsed first by EU ambassadors at a meeting in mid-November.
Rikard Jozwiak, Radio Liberty 17:27 01/11/2013 Story from Lragir.am
News: http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/politics/view/31223