Charpentier: Armenia-EU Framework Agreement opens wide opportunities for Yerevan

ArmInfo. After Armenia signs a framework agreement with the European Union, and for all preconditions, it will become the only state that, as a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, has signed an agreement on cooperation with the EU. French Ambassador to Yerevan Jean-Francois Charpentier told journalists in Yerevan on September 12, referring to the statement of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan regarding the fact that the European Union announced in 2013 that it is impossible to continue the interaction after Yerevan announced its intention to join the EEU. The diplomat urged not to look back and look towards the future. "Naturally, one can not be simultaneously in two completely different integration projects. However, this does not mean that an independent and sovereign state can not make its own independent choice of the way of its development. But I want to emphasize one thing, on the day when the Armenia-EU framework agreement is signed, and I believe that there are all prerequisites for this, the RA will become the only state that, being a member of the EEA, signed an agreement on cooperation with the EU. And the new Armenia-EU agreement is ambitious enough and opens wide opportunities for Yerevan, "the diplomat said.

It should be reminded that the Armenian President stated at the end of August that there are no obstacles to signing an agreement on an expanded and comprehensive Armenia-EU partnership at the Eastern Partnership summit in November. He also noted that in 2013, when Armenia joined the Eurasian Economic Union, a number of media, especially foreign ones, tried to present it as a "one-night decision".

In his turn, the head of the EU delegation to Armenia Piotr  Switalski  said on Sept. 6 that the EU is preparing "ink and paper" for signing the agreement at the November summit of the Eastern Partnership in Brussels.Recall that in October 2015, the European Union granted a mandate to its executive body, the European Commission, to start negotiations with Armenia on a new legal basis for relations. This framework document is intended to replace the Association Agreement, which Yerevan and Brussels agreed, but were not initialed. In September 2013, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan unexpectedly announced to many the decision of Armenia to participate in the Eurasian integration, which, in fact, meant the failure to sign the Association Agreement. Many analysts then suggested that the reason for the sharp change was the strong pressure from Moscow. However, official Yerevan did not recognize this.  Yerevan and Brussels later began to consider the possibility of negotiating a less ambitious agreement, which would not contradict Armenia's obligations in the framework of its membership in the Eurasian Economic Union. The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, after meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian on December 7, 2015 in Brussels, said that the start of a new negotiating stage would close the page of uncertainty that arose after 2013. On February 27, 2017, the President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, after talks with the chairman of the European Council Donald Tusk in Brussels, said: "Today I can say with satisfaction that the parties have concluded the negotiations." The new legal instrument - the Agreement on Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership - reflects the real scope and depth Armenia-EU relations. " On March 21, 2017, Armenia and the EU initialed the Agreement on Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership.