ArmInfo.The outgoing year for Armenia was a year of active processes, including in Armenia-EU relations.

ArmInfo.ACBA-Credit Agricole Bank, being one of the first partners of the Russian MIR payment system, announced the launch of the ArCa-MIR chip-based co- branded  cards. As ArmInfo was told in the press service of the Bank, in  Armenia this card will act as "ArCa", and on the territory of Russia  - as a "MIR" card.

ArmInfo. Anti-Russian and  anti-eurasian sentiments in Armenia are of an ordered character,  according to monitoring conducted by the club "Glas Naroda" on the  topic "Monitoring: Armenia's Participation in the EEU in the Context  of Covering Armenian Digital Media".

ArmInfo. Armenian  President Serzh Sargsyan met with the head of the Federal Customs  Service of Russia Vladimir Bulavin, who arrived in Armenia to  participate in the 24th meeting of the Joint Customs Union Collegium  in Yerevan on September 27-28.

ArmInfo.The very possibility of surrendering a part of the Artsakh territories to Azerbaijan is undoubtedly the continuation of the general political line of Russia.  The director of the Armenian Center for Strategic and National  Studies Manvel Sargsyan expressed such an opinion to ArmInfo.

Maxim Suchkov, an expert of the Russian Council on International Affairs and the Valdai International Discussion Club, in an interview with ArmInfo discusses the level of global Russian-American confrontation affects the countries of the post-Soviet space. He comments on recent American initiatives in Armenia, talks about the role of the Artsakh conflict in relations between Moscow and Washington, and Russia's interests in its settlement. 

ArmInfo.Compliance with the rules of the "basic principles" is not a whim, but Yerevan's recognition of the existing realities. Complex and contradictory,  which, according to the will of the crowd or due to the fantasies of  other "geopolitical designers", cannot be canceled, Russian analyst  Sergei Markedonov expressed such an opinion to ArmInfo. 

ArmInfo. On September 22, Vice-Speaker of the National Assembly, head of the Armenia-Czech parliamentary friendship group Eduard Sharmazanov met with the  delegation of the Czech parliament headed by Robin Bonisch. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Czech Republic to Armenia Petr Mikyska also attended the meeting.

ArmInfo. "Discussions began in the European Union that outline its future form, it is also important for Armenia," the EU delegation to Armenia in Yerevan, Head of the EU  Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Piotr Swatalski said on September 22 at the youth conference of the EU Model 2017 in Armenia.

ArmInfo.

ArmInfo.American  Congressmen in Yerevan will do everything to turn Yerevan from Moscow  and EEU, Alexander Gusev, the president of the International Union of  Experts (Moscow) thinks.

ArmInfo. Armenia never makes impossible promises.  Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian stated this at the Armenia-Diaspora forum, speaking about  the integration policy of the republic.

ArmInfo. "Today Armenia faces serious challenges and opportunities, "said Ameriabank Development Director Tigran Jrbashyan on September 18 during his  speech at the 6th pan-Armenian forum Armenia-Diaspora, which is held  under the motto" Mutual Trust, Unity and Responsibility ".

Founder of the Armenian Institute of International Affairs and Security Stepan Safaryan in his  interview to  ArmInfo discusses the latest geopolitical trends around Armenia. He shares the most likely versions of the prospects for Armenia's relations with the European Union, the situation surrounding the Karabakh settlement. Comments on the latest trends in the domestic political arena of Armenia. 

ArmInfo.To date, there are no major obstacles to the signing of a framework agreement  between Armenia and the European Union. This was announced on September 13 in Yerevan by the director of the Caucasus Institute Alexander Iskandaryan.  <The document is ready for signing, otherwise it would not have been initialed. The EU gave its consent, there are no obstacles from the Armenian side either. The possibility of  signing an agreement in Brussels in November is great, "the expert said.

ArmInfo.The faction of the opposition bloc "Yelk", which on the eve of introducing the draft of the republic's withdrawal from the Eurasian Economic Union, will present a draft law on the establishment of a temporary commission to study the pros and cons of Armenia's accession to the EEU in the coming days. Edward Marukyan, secretary of the faction, stated this from the rostrum of the parliament.

ArmInfo. European Union is ready to sign an agreement on an expanded and comprehensive partnership with Armenia in November this year at the Eastern Partnership summit, and today there are no circumstances that can prevent it. On September 12, in Yerevan in an interview with journalists, German Ambassador to Armenia Matthias Kiesler stated.

ArmInfo. After Armenia signs a framework agreement with the European Union, and for all preconditions, it will become the only state that, as a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, has signed an agreement on cooperation with the EU. French Ambassador to Yerevan Jean-Francois Charpentier told journalists in Yerevan on September 12, referring to the statement of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan regarding the fact that the European Union announced in 2013 that it is impossible to continue the interaction after Yerevan announced its intention to join the EEU. The diplomat urged not to look back and look towards the future. "Naturally, one can not be simultaneously in two completely different integration projects. However, this does not mean that an independent and sovereign state can not make its own independent choice of the way of its development. But I want to emphasize one thing, on the day when the Armenia-EU framework agreement is signed, and I believe that there are all prerequisites for this, the RA will become the only state that, being a member of the EEA, signed an agreement on cooperation with the EU. And the new Armenia-EU agreement is ambitious enough and opens wide opportunities for Yerevan, "the diplomat said.

ArmInfo. The majority of the Armenian population does not agree with the initiative of the opposition faction "Elk" about the withdrawal of the country from the EEU. This opinion was expressed in an interview with journalists by the Russian Ambassador to Armenia Ivan Volynkin on September 12 in Yerevan.  "If Elk decided to put forward such an initiative, please, no one interferes with it, and another question is how much Armenia needs it. I think that the majority of the Armenian population does not agree with this initiative, as they see the obvious advantages of Armenia in the Eurasian Economic Union," head of the Russian diplomatic mission in Armenia.

ArmInfo. Russia will provide Armenia $ 1 million to strengthen the capacity to combat forest fires in the country. Minister of Nature Protection of Armenia Artsvik Minasyan and UN Resident Representative in Armenia Bradley Buseto signed a memorandum on September 12 aimed at implementing the program "Mitigating the Impact of Climate Change in Armenia through Developing the Potential of Forest and Field Fire Management" financed by the Russian Federation.