ArmInfo. From 2017 the Armenia-EU working group will get to official negotiations on Armenia joining the EU Agreement on Common Aviation Area, Sergey Avetisyan, the Head of General Department of Civil Aviation stated at the resulting press-conference on December 20. Sergey Avetisyan reminded that the EU Board on transport, telecommunications and energy during its December 1 session approved the mandate to start negotiations on comprehensive Agreement on air transport with Armenia.According to Avetisyan, after two years of work Armenia obtained an opportunity to start negotioations on joining the Agreement.
Following Avetisyan, in the sector of aviation Armenia has been building the relations with Europe based on intergovernmental agreements. In the result of joining this Agreement, a more liberal flights regime will come effective between Armenia and 28 countries of Europe. Armenia will bear also a number of obligations in respect to regulatory changes and implementation of European standards in national regulatory framework.
The GDCA Head could not state the exact terms of the Argreement signing, but mentioned that negotiations will not last long, because there is a single model of cooperation with all the countries. He also disaproved all the ideas thatat some stage the Single Sky of Europe could raise contradictions in respect to Armenia's membership in EEU, because, as Avetisyan stated, all the countries accept the market liberalization.
To note, Europe's safe and stable air zone was remaining close for Armenia for a long time. The dates for Armenia's joining "Common Aviation Zone" have been postponed several times. In December 2015 Edward Nalbandian, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia during the meeting with Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, stated that Armenia is ready to sign Common Aviation Area Agreement with the EU. Within the recent months Yerevan has repeatedly stressed its interest in soonest launch of negotiations.
According to the procedure as soon as the European Commission receives mandate it will be authorized to start negotiations with Yerevan, Armenia will be given the draft agreement, which will be the basis of the negotiations. According to the officials in Armenia the negotiations will not last long, as there already exists the model format of cooperation with all the countries.
Beside certifications and flights safety, the document assumes the cancellation of restrictions in respect to foreign carriers of Armenia, and Armenian carriers - to European countries. This will open the opportunity to attract european companies to work with Armenia under better conditions. The liberalization will also secure the fair competition at international level.