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EU and Armenia seek conclusion of Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade
agreement in 1 year
http://www.armradio.am/en/2012/11/30/eu-and-armenia-seek-conclusion-of-deep-and-comprehensive-free-trade-agreement-in-1-year/
18:09 30.11.2012
European Friends of Armenia strongly supports the ambitious agenda
outlined this week by Armenia and the EU, whereby the negotiations for
a new Association Agreement, including a Deep and Comprehensive Free
Trade Area (DCFTA), should be concluded before the Eastern Partnership
(EaP) summit in Vilnius in November next year. The European Parliament
and the Armenian National Assembly in their combined Parliamentary
Cooperation Committee (PCC) positively assessed the ongoing
negotiations and the connected reforms in Armenia, calling for a
conclusion of the negotiations if possible before the Vilnius summit.
Likewise, European Commission President Barosso stated in an interview
ahead of his very first trip to Yerevan for the EPP Eastern
Partnership summit today, that `EU-Armenia relations further
intensified in 2012. Good progress was made in the negotiations on an
Association Agreement, which will provide for Armenia's political
association and economic integration with the EU. In that framework,
since the start in July, 3 negotiating rounds have taken place on a
future Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area. This agreement has the
potential to increase Armenian exports to the EU by 30%. By the time
of the Vilnius Eastern Partnership Summit in November 2013, we hope to
be near to the completion of both sets of negotiations.'
`For Armenia, this development means the chance to create a more
efficient administration, a more dynamic market with growth chances
for everyone, and European standards, including in the field of
democracy and Human Rights. Given the geopolitical situation with
closed borders to the east and west, the DCFTA allows Armenia to grow
from the inside. We hope that the Presidential Elections in February
will mark the beginning of this change concretely and that then the
government will focus on the implementation in parallel with the
negotiations. Armenia needs this and has no time to lose.'
The PCC conclusions are generally an interesting read, summarising all
sorts of aspects of the current EU-Armenia relations.
As for the regional stability and security issues, the PCC conclusions
reiterate the need for a peaceful solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Basic Principles,
`stresses the importance of reaching an agreement on Basic Principles
for settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as an important step
towards a comprehensive peace agreement to ensure lasting and
sustainable peace; further stresses the importance of creating
suitable conditions for a future legally-binding free expression of
will concerning a final status solution', paragraph 17.
On the fragile situation on the line of contact (LoC), `underlines the
value of confidence-building measures, including withdrawal of snipers
from the line of contact, in accordance with the OSCE
recommendations', paragraph 18.
Moreover, the document highlights the EU-Armenian common ground on the
planned opening of an airport in Nagorno-Karabakh, `welcomes all
statements contributing to the peaceful settlement of the conflict and
reminds that regarding the planned opening of an airport in
Nagorno-Karabakh, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs have received renewed
assurances from all sides that, in accordance with international law,
they reject any threat or use of force against civil aircraft and will
refrain from politicizing the issue', paragraph 23.
As for the normalisation of Armenian-Turkish relations, the document
calls upon Turkey, in particular, to meet its commitments:
`deplores the non-ratification of the two Armenia-Turkey protocols,
signed in Zurich in 2009, in that context urges all parties, Turkey in
particular, to meet their commitments; stresses the importance of
ratifying the Zurich protocols and stepping up efforts to facilitate
the normalisation of relations without any preconditions, with the
subsequent opening of the unilaterally closed border', paragraph 24;
`believes that the Armenia-Turkey normalization process and the OSCE
Minsk Group negotiations should not be linked and supports all
initiatives aimed at facilitation of regional cooperation, thus ending
the policies of economic isolation of any country in the region',
paragraph 25;
`recalls the European Parliament resolution of 1987 on recognition of
the Armenian Genocide; is however encouraged by the fact that the
issue has, in recent years, become the focus of open and public debate
in Turkey itself, which could contribute to reconciliation between the
two neighbouring nations ensuring their peaceful co-existence and
lasting cooperation', paragraph 26.
agreement in 1 year
http://www.armradio.am/en/2012/11/30/eu-and-armenia-seek-conclusion-of-deep-and-comprehensive-free-trade-agreement-in-1-year/
18:09 30.11.2012
European Friends of Armenia strongly supports the ambitious agenda
outlined this week by Armenia and the EU, whereby the negotiations for
a new Association Agreement, including a Deep and Comprehensive Free
Trade Area (DCFTA), should be concluded before the Eastern Partnership
(EaP) summit in Vilnius in November next year. The European Parliament
and the Armenian National Assembly in their combined Parliamentary
Cooperation Committee (PCC) positively assessed the ongoing
negotiations and the connected reforms in Armenia, calling for a
conclusion of the negotiations if possible before the Vilnius summit.
Likewise, European Commission President Barosso stated in an interview
ahead of his very first trip to Yerevan for the EPP Eastern
Partnership summit today, that `EU-Armenia relations further
intensified in 2012. Good progress was made in the negotiations on an
Association Agreement, which will provide for Armenia's political
association and economic integration with the EU. In that framework,
since the start in July, 3 negotiating rounds have taken place on a
future Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area. This agreement has the
potential to increase Armenian exports to the EU by 30%. By the time
of the Vilnius Eastern Partnership Summit in November 2013, we hope to
be near to the completion of both sets of negotiations.'
`For Armenia, this development means the chance to create a more
efficient administration, a more dynamic market with growth chances
for everyone, and European standards, including in the field of
democracy and Human Rights. Given the geopolitical situation with
closed borders to the east and west, the DCFTA allows Armenia to grow
from the inside. We hope that the Presidential Elections in February
will mark the beginning of this change concretely and that then the
government will focus on the implementation in parallel with the
negotiations. Armenia needs this and has no time to lose.'
The PCC conclusions are generally an interesting read, summarising all
sorts of aspects of the current EU-Armenia relations.
As for the regional stability and security issues, the PCC conclusions
reiterate the need for a peaceful solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group Basic Principles,
`stresses the importance of reaching an agreement on Basic Principles
for settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as an important step
towards a comprehensive peace agreement to ensure lasting and
sustainable peace; further stresses the importance of creating
suitable conditions for a future legally-binding free expression of
will concerning a final status solution', paragraph 17.
On the fragile situation on the line of contact (LoC), `underlines the
value of confidence-building measures, including withdrawal of snipers
from the line of contact, in accordance with the OSCE
recommendations', paragraph 18.
Moreover, the document highlights the EU-Armenian common ground on the
planned opening of an airport in Nagorno-Karabakh, `welcomes all
statements contributing to the peaceful settlement of the conflict and
reminds that regarding the planned opening of an airport in
Nagorno-Karabakh, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs have received renewed
assurances from all sides that, in accordance with international law,
they reject any threat or use of force against civil aircraft and will
refrain from politicizing the issue', paragraph 23.
As for the normalisation of Armenian-Turkish relations, the document
calls upon Turkey, in particular, to meet its commitments:
`deplores the non-ratification of the two Armenia-Turkey protocols,
signed in Zurich in 2009, in that context urges all parties, Turkey in
particular, to meet their commitments; stresses the importance of
ratifying the Zurich protocols and stepping up efforts to facilitate
the normalisation of relations without any preconditions, with the
subsequent opening of the unilaterally closed border', paragraph 24;
`believes that the Armenia-Turkey normalization process and the OSCE
Minsk Group negotiations should not be linked and supports all
initiatives aimed at facilitation of regional cooperation, thus ending
the policies of economic isolation of any country in the region',
paragraph 25;
`recalls the European Parliament resolution of 1987 on recognition of
the Armenian Genocide; is however encouraged by the fact that the
issue has, in recent years, become the focus of open and public debate
in Turkey itself, which could contribute to reconciliation between the
two neighbouring nations ensuring their peaceful co-existence and
lasting cooperation', paragraph 26.