ArmInfo.On May 14 Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan participated in a high-level conference in Brussels on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership, which was opened by President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker.
The press service of the Foreign Ministry told ArmInfo that the conference included discussions on the theme "Looking Forward - Future of EaP - Towards Stronger Economies, Governance, Connectivity and Societies", at which Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan also spoke.
The Armenian minister expressed his conviction that the 10-year journey was important and interesting for all six member countries of the Eastern Partnership program, and this event is a good opportunity to outline the future direction of partnership development. "The Eastern Partnership is about Europe. I believe that we all have a single approach, that all this concerns the same Europe, and therefore values and people," he said, adding that the Armenian people who witnessed the catastrophes of major wars in Europe attached the importance of building a peaceful and prosperous future. However, according to him, each country builds its security complex on the basis of its national interests, and the basis of the agreement between Armenia and the European Union on comprehensive and enhanced partnership is precisely this differentiated approach: "We know that we have in our hands a tool that allows us to build our relations, to build and develop our country, its normative basis, criteria, opportunities, etc. The EaP is an excellent platform for turning bilateral cooperation into a multilateral one. "
At the same time, he expressed the conviction that the velvet revolution became possible in Armenia, as there was a commitment to strengthening civil society, the media, public and state structures. Mnatsakanyan noted that the revolution that took place in the republic made Armenia stronger and more confident.
"It's all about people, people-to-people contacts, and ultimately the world. Working together for the EaP is another challenge that we need to work together. We have unresolved conflicts. Working together and cooperation are also steps towards regional peace. A remark was made about democratic Armenia, whether it really wants to show political will. In fact, this is a two-way road. We also expect that political will will be such that we can move forward, "said Mnatsakanyan, adding that there cannot be such negotiations where only one side's wishes will be taken into account, stressing the importance of creating also a favorable atmosphere for the expression of political will.