ArmInfo. Armenia and European Union reached consensus on new framework agreement.
As RFE/RL Armenian Service (Azatutyun) reports from Brussels, the document is most likely to be signed in May 2017.
To recall, in mid Feb 2017 French Ambassador to Armenia Jean-Francois Charpentier said that the talks on the new Armenia-EU framework agreement have entered the home stretch. Ambassador Charpentier expects the talks to be completed and the document to be signed in the near future. Some items are to be agreed with the Armenian side. After that it will be possible to sign the document satisfying both sides, he said.
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.