Interparliamentary Commission for European Union-Armenia Cooperation issued a statement
ArmInfo. The Armenia-EU Interparliamentary Cooperation Commission welcomes the signing of the Agreement on Enhanced and Comprehensive Cooperation between the RA and EU, calling the document historic, the statement of the commission adopted at the end of the 17th meeting in Yerevan stated.
The statement notes that the document opens new horizons for
Armenia-EU cooperation. The Commission also encourages the parties to
be consistent in implementing the provisions of the Agreement.
The document also calls on the parliaments of European countries to
ratify the agreement in a short time. The Commission considers
promising the fact that Armenia has signed an agreement with the EU
as a member of the Eurasian Economic Union.
The statement notes Armenia's progress towards democratic reforms,
however, there is also a provision on the need for their continuation
and intensification. Despite some progress in the field of democratic
reforms, the Commission deplores the number of unresolved problems in
this field, in the resolution of which Armenia can rely on all EU
assistance. The commission also reports that the EU will provide 160
million euros to Armenia from 2017 to 2020 for economic development,
implementation of democratic reforms, environmental and energy
purposes. The emphasis is on diversification of the energy sphere and
provision of safe energy sources.
The authors of the statement as a whole positively assessed the
elections held in Armenia in April, pointing out some shortcomings.
The statement also calls for ensuring gender equality in Armenia,
taking full advantage of the potential of women in various fields and
to eradicate the negative trends and processes that exist in this
area. The Commission also calls on to fully combat the manifestations
of family violence, stressing that Armenia in this process can fully
rely on EU assistance.
The Commission also calls on the EU to increase assistance to Armenia
in order to implement the provisions of the Agreement on an expanded
and comprehensive partnership. The statement emphasizes that a
special emphasis in the implementation of financial programs of the
EU will be put on democratic reforms and the protection of human
rights.
The Commission expresses its satisfaction with the assistance of
Armenia in the issue of the reception and integration of Syrian
refugees.