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EU News
Sept 27 2012
Press statement by Commissioner Ĺtefan Füle following his meeting with
Tigran Sargsyan, Prime Minister of Armenia
Reference: MEMO/12/717 Date: 27/09/2012
In out talks with the Prime Minister we had discussed a substantial
agenda focusing on how to accelerate reform and modernization in
Armenia for the benefit of the citizens and the country and on how the
EU can support those changes.
We are building on solid foundations: there have already been some
very positive changes in Armenia. We recognized this by allocating an
additional ?¬15 million to Armenia under the `more for more 'principle
of the reviewed European Neighbourhood Policy.
We have signed short while ago two agreements launching ?¬43 million of
support to help Armenia's institutions prepare for political
association and economic integration with the EU. And we have
discussed ways of bringing Armenia's international partners together,
to focus external assistance on the most urgent national reforms.
Wherever I look we are making progress: on visa facilitation and
readmission or in other areas like our negotiations on an Association
Agreement, including a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area. This
Agreement is of utmost importance in moving our relationship to a
higher level. It goes far beyond normal free trade agreement. Through
the Association Agreement the EU will open up portions of its acquis
related to the internal market. But beyond this it encompasses changes
that affect citizens in their daily lives, in areas like consumer
protection, air quality, or road safety.
More importantly this Agreement is about sharing values. It is about
freedom which unlocks the full potential of women and men. Offering
them protective umbrella of high democratic standards and real
guarantees for their rights.
The list of issues we discussed goes further. We spoke about the
matrix of priority reform actions, as a useful tool to summarize the
most urgent reforms and how to turn it into an effective instrument of
support for Armenia's reform process. We also talked about the role of
the Group of Experts in this and also about increasing role of the
civil society monitoring this process.
One of the most important priority reforms is in the area of
democracy. With representatives of government and opposition, I will
be discussing a number of specific recommendations from the OSCE/ODIHR
which we would like to see implemented before the Presidential
elections next year. Successful elections really matter ` without them
the continuous reform which we want to see would be interrupted and
the country's unity of purpose could be undermined.
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/12/717&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
From: Baghdasarian
Sept 27 2012
Press statement by Commissioner Ĺtefan Füle following his meeting with
Tigran Sargsyan, Prime Minister of Armenia
Reference: MEMO/12/717 Date: 27/09/2012
In out talks with the Prime Minister we had discussed a substantial
agenda focusing on how to accelerate reform and modernization in
Armenia for the benefit of the citizens and the country and on how the
EU can support those changes.
We are building on solid foundations: there have already been some
very positive changes in Armenia. We recognized this by allocating an
additional ?¬15 million to Armenia under the `more for more 'principle
of the reviewed European Neighbourhood Policy.
We have signed short while ago two agreements launching ?¬43 million of
support to help Armenia's institutions prepare for political
association and economic integration with the EU. And we have
discussed ways of bringing Armenia's international partners together,
to focus external assistance on the most urgent national reforms.
Wherever I look we are making progress: on visa facilitation and
readmission or in other areas like our negotiations on an Association
Agreement, including a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area. This
Agreement is of utmost importance in moving our relationship to a
higher level. It goes far beyond normal free trade agreement. Through
the Association Agreement the EU will open up portions of its acquis
related to the internal market. But beyond this it encompasses changes
that affect citizens in their daily lives, in areas like consumer
protection, air quality, or road safety.
More importantly this Agreement is about sharing values. It is about
freedom which unlocks the full potential of women and men. Offering
them protective umbrella of high democratic standards and real
guarantees for their rights.
The list of issues we discussed goes further. We spoke about the
matrix of priority reform actions, as a useful tool to summarize the
most urgent reforms and how to turn it into an effective instrument of
support for Armenia's reform process. We also talked about the role of
the Group of Experts in this and also about increasing role of the
civil society monitoring this process.
One of the most important priority reforms is in the area of
democracy. With representatives of government and opposition, I will
be discussing a number of specific recommendations from the OSCE/ODIHR
which we would like to see implemented before the Presidential
elections next year. Successful elections really matter ` without them
the continuous reform which we want to see would be interrupted and
the country's unity of purpose could be undermined.
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/12/717&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
From: Baghdasarian