Sergey Avetisyan: In 2017 official negotiations will start on Armenia joining the EU Agreement on Common Aviation Area

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.