Armenian News ... A Topalian EU, Armenia Sign Landmark Deal

Extract from another RFE/RL Report on New Agreement 

Conflicting Statements
This year's summit in Brussels could also see clashes over the
gathering's final declaration, according to EU diplomats familiar with
the talks.

One paragraph concerning conflicts in the region has been left open
after both Armenia and Azerbaijan wanted specific, but conflicting,
statements on the breakaway Azerbaijani region of Nagorno-Karabakh,
according to a draft text seen by RFE/RL. 

RFE/RL Report
EU, Armenia Sign Landmark Deal
November 24, 2017
Harry Tamrazian
The European Union and Armenia signed an agreement aimed at
significantly deepening their relations at a ceremony in Brussels on
Friday held on the sidelines of the Eastern Partnership Summit.

Signatures to the document entitled the Comprehensive and Enhanced
Partnership Agreement (CEPA) were put by High Representative of the
European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica
Mogherini and Armenia's Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

The signing ceremony took place in the presence of European Council
President Donald Tusk and Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian.

In her remarks after the signing of the document Mogherini said that
the CEPA "is based on our common commitment to democracy, human rights
and rule of law."

"This agreement is the first of this kind that is concluded with a
party that is also a member of the Eurasian Economic Union. It will
now be very important to implement it," the EU's foreign policy chief
said.

Nalbandian, for his part, described the "wide-ranging and ambitious
document" as "our joint endeavor that opens a new chapter in the
bilateral relations between the Republic of Armenia and the European
Union."

"The Agreement establishes a solid legal basis for strengthening the
political dialogue, broadening the scope of economic and sectoral
cooperation, creating a framework for new opportunities in trade and
investments and increased mobility for the benefit of our citizens,"
the top Armenian diplomat said.

According to Nalbandian, "it is important that the Agreement reaffirms
the stated commitment of the European Union to support the efforts and
approaches of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group for the peaceful
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on the norms and
principles of international law, in particular, non-use of force or
threat of force, equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and
territorial integrity."

"Armenia is determined to further develop and strengthen a
comprehensive cooperation with the EU in all areas of mutual interest
based on this Agreement," Nalbandian stressed.

The ceremony became one of the focal points of the EU's Eastern
Partnership summit that brought together the leaders of six Eastern
European and South Caucasus nations in the Belgian capital on November
24.

Since the launch of the Eastern Partnership program in 2009 Russia has
regarded it as a potential threat to its geopolitical interests in the
post-Soviet territory.

In the case with Armenia, officials in both Yerevan and Brussels have
repeatedly stated that the deal does not contradict Yerevan's allied
relations with Moscow or jeopardize the South Caucasus nation's
membership in the Eurasian Economic Union, a Russian-led trade bloc
that also includes Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Russian pressure exerted on Yerevan is widely believed to have
scuttled a more ambitious Association Agreement which Armenia and the
EU nearly finalized in 2013. President Sarkisian precluded that accord
with his unexpected decision to join the Russian-led customs union
less than three months before the planned initialing of the document.

Speaking to RFE/RL's Armenian Service (Azatutyun.am) ahead of the
summit, President Sarkisian again denied any Russian pressure in
Armenia's dealings with the EU.

Russian Ambassador to Armenia Ivan Volynkin told local Arminfo news
agency today that "Armenia is a sovereign nation" and "has the right
to participate in any pacts and associations that do not breach its
existing commitments."

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who also attended the
summit in Brussels, acknowledged Russia's "central role" in countries
like Armenia and Azerbaijan as she spoke to Deutsche Welle earlier on
Friday.

Unlike the Association Agreement that Yerevan negotiated but did not
sign with Brussels four years ago, the CEPA does not make Armenia part
of a "deep and comprehensive free trade area" with the EU. Still, the
350-page document commits Yerevan to "approximating" Armenian economic
laws and regulations to those of the European Union.


ITAR-TASS, Russia
November 23, 2017 Thursday 2:45 PM GMT
Russia respects Armenia’s decision to sing agreement on partnership
with EU - Russian foreign ministry
HIGHLIGHT: Moscow respects Yerevan’s foreign political interests and
goals, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on
Thursday, commenting on the impending signing of the agreement on
comprehensive and extended partnership between Armenia and the
European Union at the Eastern Partnership Summit that will be held on
November 24 in Brussels.

MOSCOW, November 23. /TASS/. Moscow respects Yerevan’s foreign
political interests and goals, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman
Maria Zakharova said on Thursday, commenting on the impending signing
of the agreement on comprehensive and extended partnership between
Armenia and the European Union at the Eastern Partnership Summit that
will be held on November 24 in Brussels.

"We are developing our relations with states, in particular with
Armenia, and [we are] doing it on a mutually-beneficial basis; we also
realize that each country has its own foreign political interests,
goals and tasks and always respect it," she said.

On March 21, Yerevan and Brussels initialed an agreement on
comprehensive and extended partnership. It will replace the document
on partnership and cooperation between Armenia and the European Union
that has been operating since 1999. The talks on a new legal framework
for relations between the republic and the EU started on December 7,
2015. In late February, Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan and
President of the European Council Donald Tusk declared the end of the
negotiations in Brussels.

It is the second attempt to sign a brand new cooperation agreement
between Brussels and Yerevan to occur in the last four years. In 2013,
it was planned to sign an agreement on association and a free-trade
zone between the EU and Armenia at the 2013 Eastern Partnership Summit
in Vilnius. However, after a meeting in Moscow between Serzh Sargsyan
and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Yerevan’s authorities decided to
join the Customs (later Eurasian - TASS) Union instead.

The new framework agreement considers the fact of Armenia’s membership
in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). In particular, it has no
provision on the republic’s accession to the free trade zone with the
EU. All points in the document correspond to the obligations
undertaken by Armenia as part of its membership in the Eurasian
Economic Union.


A1+
Statement by Serzh Sargsyan at the Eastern Partnership summit
November 24,2017

Distinguished Mr. Tusk,
Distinguished Mr. Juncker,
Dear colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,

I am grateful for the patient preparatory work and excellent organization of this Summit.

I would like to mention that we consider 2017 as, indeed, one of the important milestones in the quarter of the century long history of the relations between Armenia and EU, which is signified today under the framework of this Summit by signing of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement. It is a comprehensive document the reflects the significant developments of the recent period of our collaboration and defines the guidelines that are necessary to deepen these relations. 

This Agreement is not merely a legal document, but a reflection on the wealth of values of human rights and fundamental freedoms that we share. Important elements of the strengthening of democracy such as rule of law, consolidation of judiciary, development of public and social institutes, good governance ae the core of this Agreement. The efficient realization of these elements is of vital importance for our nation in order to implement successfully the envisaged reforms. It is exactly the development based on these shared values that ensures the long-lasting and sustainable development for any responsible member of the international community. I thank the leadership of the European Union for the support provided throughout this process.

The importance of this Agreement is not limited to the Armenia-EU relations: many international counterparts of ours describe Armenia as a nation that brings various integration processes closer to each other, a nation that is led by desire to reconcile and complement interests in the spirit of cooperation and cohabitation, and it is something that seriously obliges us to meet the expectation. I would like to underline that throughout this process the objective Armenia pursued from the very outset was further deepening of our bilateral and multilateral relations.

The Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement between the Republic of Armenia and European Union is our joint achievement, and I can become a positive precedent for other cooperation projects. I congratulate all of us upon this occasion. 

Dear colleagues, 

The achievements registered in the course of the past two years have been to a large extent conditioned by the results of the Riga Summit, in particular, by the joint endeavors taken for the implementation of the clauses related to Armenia in the Joint Declaration adopted at the Summit, Armenia, perhaps, is one of those EU partners that was able to almost fully implement commitments undertaken in 2015. We believe that Armenia’s determination in this process, as well as determination of our EU partners will soon result in further bringing our societies closer to each other, for which, of course, launching of the visa liberalization dialogue would be of great significance.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We arrived to Brussels convinced that this Summit will be an important milestone for the Eastern Partnership. From the outset Armenia supported this cooperation format since we believed that this partnership was draught in order to encourage sustainable regional development and serve as a unifying factor, thus removing the dividing lines and reinforcing the human and peoples fundamental rights.

Mr. President,

Once again, the President of Azerbaijan has voiced ill-grounded accusations against Armenia. As much as the Azerbaijani side may try to distort and misinterpret the essence of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and its peaceful settlement, the conflict has to be settled on the basis of three principles of international law: non-use of force or threat of force, territorial integrity and the peoples’ right to self-determination as proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, which is the only structure vested with an international mandate.

The position of the international community on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is reflected in the statements issued by the leaders of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries. In this context, any solution to the conflict without the exercise of Nagorno-Karabakh people’s right to self-determination is simply impossible. 
I also want to emphasize that each conflict is unique in its nature, essence and background, and in this respect, it would be wrong to apply similar approaches to different conflicts.

Another remark: the UN has never adopted a resolution regarding the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh issue. The four resolutions adopted by the UN in 1993 were about the ceasing of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh region, which Azerbaijan has ignored so far. And now, as 25 years have passed, in my opinion, it is irrelevant to say that Armenia has not fulfilled its commitments. 

I strongly hope that resolution of the existing issues in the Eastern Partnership region will let us have a more peaceful and prosperous Europe.

Armenia will continuously and faithfully be devoted to its vision of consolidation of peace and sustainable development.

I thank you.

[ this video is included if you want to see Mr Tusk's words for yourself]

A1+
The Eastern Partnership summit summing up in Brussels (video)
November 24,2017 | Politics 
Press conference of Donald Tusk, European Council President, Jean-Claude Juncker, European Commission President and Yuri Ratas, Prime Minister presiding EU Estonian, are held in Brussels to sum up the Eastern Partnership Summit.

We present a press conference with live broadcast.


http://en.a1plus.am/1267212.html

168.am
November 24 2017
Armenia doesn’t plan to block final declaration of Eastern Partnership summit – President Sargsyan 

Armenia doesn’t plan to block the adoption of the final declaration of the EU Eastern Partnership’s 5th summit, President Serzh Sargsyan said in Brussels in response to a question of a reporter.

“No, why should we block? I think it will pass by a compromise option”, the president said.

To an observation that Azerbaijan is moving forward rather difficult terms, the Armenian President said: “Azerbaijan can move them forward, but who is going to adopt these formulations? I don’t think the Eastern Partnership summit is the platform where we should discuss our relations”.

President Sargsyan added that the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship is dealing with the settlement of the NK conflict, while the EU fully supports the Minsk Group in this matter. According to the president, this completely satisfies the Armenian side.

168.am
Armenia to welcome Azerbaijan’s accession to EEU if it ends hostile activities – deputy FM Kocharyan 
Not only should EEU non-member states not take damaging steps for member states of the organization, but so should even observer states, deputy FM of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharyan said after today’s Cabinet meeting, commenting on a question regarding the possibility of Azerbaijan’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union.

“Azerbaijan’s membership to the EEU implies maintaining the EEU agreement’s provision, under which even an observer state, not only a member, shouldn’t take steps in harm of member states or overall the EEU. This implies that if Azerbaijan wants to somehow get closer to the EEU, it shouldn’t take such steps”, Kocharyan said, adding that Armenia will welcome Azerbaijan’s accession to the EEU, if the country maintains the abovementioned condition.

“If we speak of the economic field, it is enough to recall one thing – Azerbaijan is blockading Armenia. The joining or becoming an observer of this country to the EEU will be welcomed by us, is Azerbaijan implements the commitments which are set for both observer and member states, and this means that Azerbaijan should abolish the blockade, it means not to take hostile activities against Armenia, it means to end anti-Armenian sentiment”, he said.