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  • Barroso Speech: "European Union and Armenia: promoting our common va

    Invest in EU
    Dec 1 2012


    Speech by President Barroso: "European Union and Armenia: promoting
    our common values and forging stronger ties"
    Mr Chairman,

    Distinguished guests,

    Ambassadors,

    Excellencies,

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    Dear friends,

    First of all, thank you for your kind words of welcome.

    It is a pleasure to be here in Yerevan and in particular to be able to
    meet representatives of civil society, students and scholars. It is
    also an honour to be able to do so in such a venue: the national
    manuscript museum, the repository of so much of your national history
    and culture: a history and culture with so important links with other
    parts of Europe, links which are in fact stronger and older than is
    commonly believed.

    The influence of personalities such as Aram Khachaturian, one of the
    great composers of the XXth century, or Arshile Gorky, a seminal
    figure in abstract expressionism, just to name a few, has indeed
    enriched not only Europe's, but also the world's, culture.

    Armenian history has many tales of long difficult journeys and your
    country is currently embarked on another epic journey. Reform is never
    easy, in particular in these difficult global economic times. For
    reforms to succeed requires not just the will of the government but
    the support and hard work of the population at large, and civil
    society organisations play a vital role. And this is why it is so
    important for me to have this opportunity to address you directly here
    today.

    Civil society acts as an advocate of the reform process, informing
    public opinion and mobilising the support of citizens; as a monitor of
    the progress made by government, calling them to account when they do
    not meet their objectives or the standards which you expect, and civil
    society also provides expertise, to help both government and your
    fellow citizens move forward with reforms, for example, on human
    rights or environmental standards.

    This reform process is yours; it must be driven from within the
    country and owned by the people. But it is a process which we in the
    European Union wish to help and support. My visit here is one more
    sign of the importance which we in the European Union attach to
    Armenia as a country and to our Eastern neighbourhood as a whole.
    Civil society plays a crucial role in this process and I take this
    occasion to salute the 4th annual meeting of the Eastern Partnership
    Civil Society Forum which has just taken place in Stockholm. I know
    that the Armenian national platform members have made a strong
    contribution to this important debate.

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    Before I speak in more detail about the European Union's deepening
    relationship with Armenia, let me say a few words about the basis of
    this relationship: our common values.

    The European Union is a union based on values, values shared by all
    the member states and by our 500 million citizens. The values of
    democracy, respect for human rights, the rule of law, freedom,
    including, naturally, the freedom of expression. Some of these values
    are codified, for example in the European Charter of Fundamental
    Rights or European Union legislation. Others are deeply woven into the
    fabric of our societies.

    It is, therefore, natural that the values on which the European Union
    is founded are also at the heart of our co-operation with third
    countries and are a central piece of the Eastern Partnership.

    But what does this mean in practice?

    First and foremost, it means that the European Union is especially
    motivated to work with Armenians to support Armenia's democratic
    development. And the foundation stone of a democratic process is free,
    fair and transparent elections. In this respect the EU welcomes the
    Armenian authorities' efforts to deliver elections with a more
    transparent and competitive character. But, at the same time a number
    of issues still need to be addressed to ensure Armenia fulfils its
    democratic potential.

    The Presidential elections next year will put these to the test. In
    particular we need to see that the recommendations identified by
    OSCE/ODIHR are addressed in good time before the elections. But
    democracy goes well beyond election day. It is built every day in a
    number of different areas.

    For instance, it is built by respect for the rule of law, reform of
    the judiciary and the fight against corruption. Such reforms are above
    all in the interest of every Armenian and will have a positive impact
    on people's day to day lives.

    But they also mean that Armenia will be able to benefit from the
    European Union's doctrine of `more for more' in terms of our
    cooperation - put simply: the more reforms you carry out, the more the
    EU will be able to support the Republic of Armenia.

    I do not just mean financial support, although Armenia has already
    gained an additional 15 million Euro in resources through the Eastern
    Partnership Integration and Coordination programme. But the benefits
    go far beyond this. For example, work on the reform agenda has meant
    that the European Union and Armenia have been able to conclude visa
    facilitation and re-admission agreements. We expect these to be signed
    by the end of the year thereby allowing easier travel to the European
    Union for Armenian citizens from 2013.

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    We are not stopping here.

    Negotiations are underway for an Association Agreement, including a
    Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, between the European Union and
    Armenia.

    At its core, this Association is about sharing our values. It leads to
    a process of modernising Armenia through bringing your standards, laws
    and norms closer to those of the European Union and in deepening our
    co-operation on the world stage.

    This process will support political, social and economic reform in
    Armenia. The DCFTA is an important element in this and will bring
    Armenia to Europe's single market, which is the biggest integrated
    market in the world by value. The DCFTA is, so to speak, a quality
    mark: a sign that the Armenian economy meets certain standards.
    Experience elsewhere has shown that this opens the door to trade; to
    much needed foreign investment and to job creation.

    Of course there is a major role for civil society in all of this work.
    The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum already helps us monitor
    implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy. I hope this role
    will expand - we are discussing with Armenia the possibility of
    replacing the ENP Action Plan with an `Association Agenda' - a more
    focused tool which will prepare the road for the implementation of our
    new Agreement. Civil Society will be kept informed of this process and
    I am sure it will play an important role.

    Our support to civil society has also a financial dimension. We have
    developed a new instrument - the Neighbourhood Civil Society Facility
    - to provide additional grant support and encourage concrete actions
    from civil society in support of the European Neighbourhood Policy and
    Eastern Partnership objectives. We also hope that our support to NGOs
    will continue through the European Initiative for Democracy and Human
    Rights and through our thematic programmes for non-state actors, as
    well as other EU instruments.

    But beyond the instruments what is important to note here is the
    political will - the political commitment to work together with your
    country. We believe that Armenia is a European country, that you
    belong to the European family of nations and that we have everything
    to gain from working even closer.

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    Let me at this point say a few words about regional stability and
    conflict resolution. These are issues that we cannot ignore and which
    need to be addressed to allow Armenia and its neighbours to achieve
    their full potential. Aside from the personal tragedy of conflicts,
    the physical closure of borders brings obvious and significant
    economic risks - it holds back much-needed growth and revenue.
    Progress on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains
    one of the top priorities in our Neighbourhood.

    I understand the difficulties and complexities of such work but we
    should all acknowledge that the ultimate benefits that peace brings
    far outweigh these difficulties. Some think that the conflict is
    frozen and that there is no possible solution to it. Though the task
    may be difficult, I believe that peace is possible. It is not only
    possible, indeed it is necessary. And the work of the politicians is
    to turn the necessary into reality; to make the necessary possible. We
    call therefore on the parties to remain committed to the Minsk Group
    process by words and deeds, and to return to the discussion of
    substantial issues. It is also important to exercise restraint in
    their statements and actions, so as to not to put at risk the existing
    format and the basic principles.

    The European project was also built on the ashes of a terrible war and
    through reconciliation of former enemies. What we have achieved today
    would be simply unthinkable for our grandfathers who lived and
    sometimes died in the tragic years of the war. This project of peace,
    democracy and reconciliation was recently recognised by the Nobel
    Committee which has awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to the European
    Union. And this this example, I believe, can serve as an inspiration
    for all those in the world that are working for concrete developments
    in favour of peace.

    The European Union remains ready to provide enhanced support for
    confidence building measures, in full complementarity with, the Minsk
    Group. We have adopted in June a new programme under the Instrument
    for Stability in order precisely to support the peaceful settlement of
    the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. We have already the principles for
    this Agreement as agreed in Madrid, what it takes is political courage
    to implement them.

    Distinguished guests,

    I have briefly set out a vision as to how closer co-operation between
    the European Union and Armenia will benefit both sides. I know that
    within Armenia there is an open, active debate on how best to balance
    your country's relations with its strategic neighbours.

    Ultimately, how you manage your international relations is your choice
    and your choice alone. We are happy that the policy of the government
    is to "get as close to the European Union as the European Union will
    let us". In terms of sharing our values, of being a part of our
    internal market we want you to be very close indeed.

    This will take hard work and civil society will have an important role
    to play. Together I am certain that, here today surrounded by the
    manuscripts which chronicle the history of your country, we are
    setting out to write a new page in that history.

    I thank you for your attention.

    01 December 2012
    .
    http://www.investineu.com/content/speech-president-barroso-european-union-and-armenia-promoting-our-common-values-and-forging-12c3


    From: Baghdasarian
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