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EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTED RESOLUTION ON ARMENIA-EU RELATIONS
ARMENPRESS
APRIL 18, 2012
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, MARCH 18, ARMENPRESS: The association agreements that the
EU is negotiating with Armenia and Azerbaijan should make the region
safer, both by promoting a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict and by making EU support conditional upon their human rights
performance and democratic reforms. As Armenpress reports this was
mentioned in the resolution adopted by the European Parliament on
Wednesday.
Parliament's resolutions make recommendations to the Council and the
Commission on lines to take when negotiating association agreements
with Armenia and Azerbaijan. MEPs approved the EU-Azerbaijan resolution
with - 520 votes in favour, 32 against and 24 abstentions and the
EU-Armenia one with 508 in favour, 29 against and 27 abstentions.
MEPs call on both countries to do more to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. The resolutions condemn the region's militarisation and high
military expenditure and call on EU Member States to stop supplying
weapons and munitions to both countries.
Parliament also calls on the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to
tone down the language of their statements to pave the way for a
genuine dialogue.
Both rapporteurs stressed that although the association agreements
could not resolve the conflict, the EU should strive to contribute to
stability in the region, for example by focusing on the importance of
youth exchange and academic mobility to promote confidence building
during the negotiations on visa facilitation and readmission
agreements.
MEPs praise Armenia's efforts to pursue ambitious reforms to
incorporate EU practices in justice, freedom, security and especially
migration sectors, but stress the need to ensure that its May
parliamentary elections are free and fair.
"The parliamentary elections of 6 May will be a test of Armenia's
determination to have good relations with the EU. If they will be
free and fair, and I believe they will, this will demonstrate that
Armenia sticks to its commitments in serious way", said rapporteur
Tomasz Piotr PorÄ~Yba.
The resolution notes that in Armenia's previous elections, people were
killed in police attempts to prevent an opposition demonstration and
notes that Armenia has yet to complete a "transparent and impartial
investigation of the events of 1 March 2008".
From: A. Papazian
ARMENPRESS
APRIL 18, 2012
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, MARCH 18, ARMENPRESS: The association agreements that the
EU is negotiating with Armenia and Azerbaijan should make the region
safer, both by promoting a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict and by making EU support conditional upon their human rights
performance and democratic reforms. As Armenpress reports this was
mentioned in the resolution adopted by the European Parliament on
Wednesday.
Parliament's resolutions make recommendations to the Council and the
Commission on lines to take when negotiating association agreements
with Armenia and Azerbaijan. MEPs approved the EU-Azerbaijan resolution
with - 520 votes in favour, 32 against and 24 abstentions and the
EU-Armenia one with 508 in favour, 29 against and 27 abstentions.
MEPs call on both countries to do more to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. The resolutions condemn the region's militarisation and high
military expenditure and call on EU Member States to stop supplying
weapons and munitions to both countries.
Parliament also calls on the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to
tone down the language of their statements to pave the way for a
genuine dialogue.
Both rapporteurs stressed that although the association agreements
could not resolve the conflict, the EU should strive to contribute to
stability in the region, for example by focusing on the importance of
youth exchange and academic mobility to promote confidence building
during the negotiations on visa facilitation and readmission
agreements.
MEPs praise Armenia's efforts to pursue ambitious reforms to
incorporate EU practices in justice, freedom, security and especially
migration sectors, but stress the need to ensure that its May
parliamentary elections are free and fair.
"The parliamentary elections of 6 May will be a test of Armenia's
determination to have good relations with the EU. If they will be
free and fair, and I believe they will, this will demonstrate that
Armenia sticks to its commitments in serious way", said rapporteur
Tomasz Piotr PorÄ~Yba.
The resolution notes that in Armenia's previous elections, people were
killed in police attempts to prevent an opposition demonstration and
notes that Armenia has yet to complete a "transparent and impartial
investigation of the events of 1 March 2008".
From: A. Papazian