ArmInfo. In recent years, Armenia has seen an unprecedented regression in the issue of European integration. This was stated on April 4 during parliamentary hearings on European integration by socio-political figure, former chief of staff of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia, former Ambassador of Armenia to Poland Edgar Ghazaryan.
According to him, what is happening in Armenia today has nothing to do with European integration. On the way to European integration, there should be no talk of cooperation only with one EU body, but also with other organizations, in particular, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, etc.. "Until 2018, Armenia had such achievements in relations with them that, apart from "green light" was opened for the implementation of EU programs, as a result of which reforms were implemented in the fields of education, healthcare, the fight against corruption, public relations, proportional development of territories, energy efficiency, student exchange, cooperation in the field of science within the framework of the Horizon program, which allowed the conclusion of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement in 2017, the implementation of which, according to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Paruyr Hovhannisyan, showed regression," Ghazaryan said.
He also pointed to the response from the EU when Yerevan talks about cooperation with the Union. Ghazaryan recalled that European officials, including the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, were present at the conclusion of agreements between Yerevan and Ankara in 2009 to normalize relations. However, none of them managed to put enough pressure on Turkey to lift the blockade of Armenia, ratify the signed documents and ensure physical ties with the EU countries. "Let me remind you that Turkey is an associated member of the EU and a member of the EU Customs Union, in other words, the Armenian-Turkish border is the border with the EU Customs Union, which has not opened, and Brussels did not have enough strength to influence this authoritarian state and to solve one of the main problems, that is, ensuring the opening of the roads," the politician emphasized.
In addition, as Ghazaryan noted, the European Union, without having any relevant mandate and violating the provisions of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, as well as the provisions of the Riga Declaration, from December 14, 2021, took over the interaction between Baku and Yerevan on the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict , thereby ignoring the mechanisms of the OSCE Minsk Group, bringing the situation to the shameful Prague Statement of October 6, 2022, by which the territories of Armenia were illegally transferred under the control of Azerbaijan. The Prague Document, unlike CEPA, has not yet been ratified by any country.
Thus, according to Ghazaryan, European officials, having violated the provisions of CEPA, moved to a settlement that caused historical damage to Armenia and the Armenian people. As part of the same Prague Document, a civilian EU observer mission was established in the country, which completely failed.
Ghazaryan recalled that according to the Prague Statement, the observer mission was given two tasks: to ensure mutual understanding between Armenia and Azerbaijan and facilitate the work of commissions on border issues. The commissions have not yet held a single meeting, and in Armenia they speak about the lack of mutual understanding between Yerevan and Baku at the highest level.