The Partnership Council highlighted the strong momentum in the EU-Armenia relations, reaffirmed their shared values and adopted the new “Strategic Agenda for the EU-Armenia Partnership”, setting ambitious cooperation priorities and marking a major step in deepening and advancing bilateral ties. The two sides noted the importance of the upcoming EU-Armenia Summit in May 2025 as yet another milestone for further enhancing their partnership. The EU welcomed the historic milestone reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan at the Washington Peace Summit last August, including the initialling of the Armenia-Azerbaijan “Agreement on Establishment of Peace and Inter-State Relations.” The EU reiterated its strong support for the further consolidation and institutionalisation of the peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The two sides highlighted the humanitarian dimension of reconciliation efforts and Armenia expressed its appreciation for increased EU support for demining. Armenia welcomed the EU’s readiness to advance regional connectivity. Both sides agreed to deepen their cooperation through the EU’s Global Gateway initiative and cross-regional connectivity agenda, in line with Armenia’s ‘Crossroads of Peace’ initiative. The EU and Armenia welcomed the ratification of the CSDP framework participation agreement, which opens new opportunities for deeper and more active cooperation in the field of international crisis management missions. The two sides welcomed the progress in the visa-liberalisation dialogue. They also welcomed the official handover on 5 November 2025 of the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan as a key milestone on the road toward visa-free travel. Both the EU and Armenia reiterated their commitment to human rights, the rule of law, and democratic values. The EU reaffirmed its steadfast support for Armenia’s comprehensive political and economic reform agenda and Armenia’s efforts to counter hybrid threats. The Partnership Council reviewed the implementation of the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA), noting Armenia’s continued commitment and the progress achieved, and encouraging the pursuit of the ambitious reform agenda. The newly adopted Strategic Agenda will serve as a catalyst for unlocking the full potential of CEPA. The EU and Armenia welcomed progress on the €270 million Resilience and Growth Plan and discussed further opportunities available through Global Gateway investments. They also welcomed the launch of the High-Level Policy Dialogue. The two sides also discussed ways to scale up the investments in key strategic areas of the partnership, advance inclusive regional connectivity, economic diversification and trade, digital and green transitions, energy security, and climate cooperation. They agreed to work together to significantly increase and facilitate the diversification of Armenia’s export structure, including the export of new products to the EU market and to intensify cooperation between the Energy Community and Armenia. The EU also took good note of the adoption by Armenia’s parliament of the law on “launching the accession process of the Republic of Armenia to the European Union” on 26 March 2025 underlining that this step demonstrates Armenia’s continued commitment to shared European values and its ambition to deepen integration with the Union. The EU reiterated its principled position on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Both sides welcomed the current efforts to cease the hostilities in Ukraine and work towards just and lasting peace. The Partnership Council was chaired by the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan. The EU delegation was led by High Representative Kaja Kallas, joined by Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos. | 
No comments:
Post a Comment