Tuesday, February 26 2019 13:45

ArmInfo.The head of the EU delegation in Armenia, Ambassador Piotr Switalski, believes that the year 2019 Armenia and the European Union began with a high political note.

He stated this on February 26 at a press conference. According to the Ambassador, the beginning of the year was marked by the visit  of the European Commissioner for Enlargement and Johannes Hahn's good  neighborhood policy. "We are preparing for a number of intensive  meetings and visits. In the framework of the Comprehensive and  Enlarged Partnership with the EU (CEPA), meetings are expected in  Brussels and Yerevan. This indicates that bilateral relations between  the RA and the EU are developing very constructively, and we are  entering stage of a dynamic dialogue, " the diplomat said.

Piotr Switalski reminded that at the end of last year, Armenia handed  over to the partners from the EU the "Roadmap" of actions arising  from the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement  (CEPA). The document is voluminous and contains hundreds of practical  events. It was analyzed by the relevant services of the European  Commission and with relevant comments and suggestions transferred to  the Armenian side. "Now the document is being discussed in  interdepartmental commissions, and I think we will have a finished  document at the end of March," the Ambassador said.

As the head of the Euro Deletion in Armenia pointed out, the EU is  preparing a specific assistance package for the smooth implementation  of the specified "Roadmap". Soon, perhaps, the next Twinning program  will be launched, aimed at long-term institutional development and  support to partner countries through cooperation, the acquisition of  necessary skills and experience for approximation with EU  legislation.

For the implementation of sectoral programs in the framework of CEPA,  highly qualified consultants will be involved in the project. "The  overall picture for today is optimistic and encouraging," Piotr  Switalski said. Speaking about the upcoming visit of Prime Minister  Nikol Pashinyan to Brussels, Piotr Switalski noted that the upcoming  meeting is an excellent opportunity to discuss the framework of  cooperation. 

To note, the Framework Agreement on a comprehensive and expanded  partnership between Armenia and the EU was signed on November 24 in  Brussels. The Armenian parliament unanimously ratified the agreement  in April 2018.