Yerevan: Talks on new Armenia-EU framework agreement nearing  completion   

ArmInfo. In the near future Armenia will be able to announce the end of the talks on the new Armenia-EU framework agreement, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward  Nalbandian says in an interview to Deutsche Welle.     "The talks are proceeding quite successfully and we have come closer  to the final phase. I suppose we will be able to announce the end of  the talks in the near future. Naturally, this will be followed by  several more phases - coordination (given that the EU comprises 28  countries), initialing and signing," Nalbandian says, adding that the  agreement will reflect the high level and the wide volume of the  current Armenia-EU relations and the prospects for future partnership  in various areas and in all possible dimensions. "We are very much  interested in it and we feel the same interest of the EU," he says. 

When asked whether Yerevan is conducting consultations with the  Russian authorities regarding the specified agreement, the diplomat  stresses that in the talks with the EU and other partners Armenia  gives high priority to transparency. "We hold no covert talks. Our  President and I, the foreign minister of Armenia, have repeatedly  spoken in our interviews and press conferences about the upcoming  conclusion of the agreement with the EU," he says, noting that in its  allied relations with Russia Armenia has taken no steps running  counter to development of the bilateral ties. "So, there can hardly  be any objections," Nalbandian says. 

The interviewer recalled that the previous Armenia-EU Association  Agreement was not signed and this coincided with the Armenian  President's visit to Russia. "It is not so. We were holding talks and  approached the final phase of the associated cooperation with the EU.  At the same time, we have always stated that Armenia wanted to join  the Customs Union, which was later transformed into the Eurasian  Economic Union. However, we were told that it was hard to do that  because we lacked common borders.  Later, a relevant working group of  experts was set up to analyze the situation and the experts arrived  at the conclusion that Armenia's Customs Union membership was  possible," he notes. He stresses that he has heard no objections from  Moscow regarding European integration of Armenia. 

The topic of Armenia-EU cooperation will also be touched on during  Edward Nalbandian's official visit to Moscow on Feb 21. "Naturally,  our talks will cover a wide spectrum of issues on the bilateral  agenda. I think this visit will allow us to compare our approaches to  cooperation on international platforms," Nalbandian says.  

The Armenian minister reiterates that in Armenia's relations with  Russia and all other partners Armenia comes out for close and  reliable relations. "As regards the EU, during the Vilnius summit we  exchanged letters with Mrs. Ashton, then a joint statement with the  EU was released, and when we launched the talks on the new Armenia-EU  framework agreement together with Mrs. Mogherini, we clearly stated  that both sides are going to develop the relations and promote the  cooperation with due regard for Armenia's commitments in other  international integration processes," he notes.