Armenia and EU preliminary signed agreement on comprehensive and expanded partnership

ArmInfo. Armenia and EU  preliminary signed agreement on comprehensive and expanded  partnership.  

As the press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry told ArmInfo,  the main negotiator, Deputy Foreign Minister Karen Nazaryan, as well  as the trade negotiator, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and  Investments of Armenia Garegin Melqonyan, preliminary signed  (initialed) the agreement. From the EU side, the main negotiator,  Director for Russia, Eastern Partnership, Central Asia and the OSCE  of the European External Action Service Luc Devin, as well as the  trade negotiator, the head of the European Commission's Directorate  General for External Trade Petros Surmelis.

Before the signing, the meeting of the Armenian Foreign Minister  Edward Nalbandian and Luc Devin and Petros Surmelis took place.  Nalbandian greeted the European Deputies' visit in Yerevan and noted  that the document will open a new page in the Armenian- EU relations.  The head of the foreign Ministry of Armenia stressed that the  agreement will be signed during this year and added that it will  express the deep level and the volume of the Armenian-EU relations.

To note, on February 27, in Brussels, Armenian President Serzh  Sargsyan and the EU President Donald Tusk announced the completion of  negotiations on Armenia-EU new framework agreement. The sides noted  that the document is most likely to be signed during 2017.

To note, on October 12, in Luxembourg, the Council authorized the   European Commission and the High Representative to open negotiations   on a new, legally binding and overarching agreement with Armenia, and   adopted the corresponding negotiating mandate. This agreement will   replace the current EU-Armenia partnership and cooperation agreement.    The EU is committed to further developing and strengthening   comprehensive cooperation with Armenia in all areas of mutual   interest within the Eastern Partnership framework. On December 7, at   the EU Headquarters in Brussels, Edward Nalbandian, Minister of   Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Federica Mogherini, High   Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security  Policy, announced the launch of negotiations on the new   Armenia-European Union framework agreement. The first round of the   talks took place in Jan 2016. In late 2016, Armenian Foreign Minister   Edward Nalbandian expressed hope that the talks on the new framework   agreement will be over in the near future.