Wednesday, June 6 2018 17:58

ArmInfo. Since January 2015, EU-Armenia relations have developed significantly. The negotiation and provisional application of a new bilateral partnership agreement,  as well as the finalisation of Partnership Priorities in February  this year have contributed to this success, a new EU report said.

Issued ahead of the first European Union - Armenia Partnership  Council, which will be held on 21 June, today's report looks at  developments in Armenia and in EU-Armenia relations over the past  two-and-a-half years.

"We have witnessed a very important period for EU-Armenia relations  and for Armenia itself", said the High Representative for Foreign  Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European  Commission, Federica Mogherini. "A lot of hard work and determination  has gone into our new bilateral agreement, which stands to bring  visible benefits to our citizens, from strengthening transparency and  accountability, to creating more opportunities for trade and  investment, to environmental protection. Now is the time to implement  the agreement, along with our Partnership Priorities, so as to turn  the hard work on paper into concrete results."

"In addition to the new agreement, which was ratified unanimously by  the Armenian Parliament and is now being provisionally applied, we  also have seen encouraging steps forward when it comes to bringing  our citizens closer together, through initialling a common aviation  agreement and extending the Trans- European Transport Network", said  the Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement  Negotiations, Johannes Hahn. "Armenia has also participated actively  in our Eastern Partnership Summit in Brussels last November, when  leaders endorsed the 20 deliverables for 2020, complementing the  priorities of our bilateral agenda."

In Armenia, peaceful protests in April and May 2018 brought about a  change of government within the framework of the Armenian  Constitution. The EU will continue to support reforms in Armenia that  promote democracy, the rule of law and respect of human rights, as  well as a resilient and prosperous social and economic system.

Notable developments highlighted by the report include the adoption  by a large majority in the Armenian Parliament of a new Law on the  prevention of violence, protection of victims and restoration of  cohesion within the family in December 2017. The EU considers the new  law an important step towards the greater protection of human rights  and gender equality. 

In the area of education, reforms have taken place in line with the  Bologna process with the support of the Erasmus+ programme. Armenian  universities have been able to modernise study programmes, moving  towards a better match with labour market needs. 1,800 students and  university professors have been involved in EU-Armenia academic  exchange and mobility until the end of 2017.  

In 2016 Armenia became associated to the EU Framework Programme for  Research and Innovation Horizon 2020, which opens up new  opportunities for the country's research institutions and enterprises  to enhance the transformation of scientific knowledge into commercial  opportunities. The EU4Innovation initiative, launched in November  2016, aims at boosting innovation throughout the Eastern Partnership.  An EU4Innovation Centre is about to be established in Yerevan to  promote scientific education and close links between universities and  businesses. 

Since 2014, the EU has provided close to ?120 million of financial  support to Armenia with a focus on private sector developments,  governance and education. Furthermore Armenia has also benefited from  funding for multi-country projects. Transport infrastructure  development and energy efficiency has been supported under the  Neighbourhood Investment Facility, while further EU support is aiming  at delivering concrete results to citizens in areas such as judicial  reform, access to finance and economic development, connectivity,  education and mobility. Support to civil society, human rights,  deepening democracy and strengthening citizen participation will  continue to be a focus, as well as support to economic development. 

The EU has also continued to fully support the Organisation for  Security and Cooperation in Europe Minsk Group Co-Chairs and  confidence/peace building and conflict prevention activities in  relation to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The European Union firmly  believes that the conflict needs an early political settlement in  accordance with the principles and norms of international law.