EU Ambassador: “Trade sector with Armenia will be weaker in the new EU agreement” (video)
The European Union is reviewing the European Neighborhood Policy. Today during the meeting with journalists the EU Ambassador to Armenia Piotr Switalski presented the details of the new document on the ENP review released in Brussels. “Neighborhood Policy review began at the end of 2014, in the process of which we included all the people concerned from the relevant countries- representatives of governments and civil societies. We received about 250 different offers. The Government of Armenia also presented its offers. As you know, in January, 2015, Foreign Minister Nalbandian sent a letter, where he presented Armenia’s views on the project,- said the Ambassador by highlighting why it was necessary to review the Neighborhood Policy,- the neighborhood had changed, as the situation in the neighboring countries had changed, the challenges had changed, the EU had changed.” The main principle of the review of the European Neighborhood Policy is stability, but there are also conceptual changes, which are political, “The first is differentiation. The document on Neighborhood Policy takes into account that the partners became very different in political terms. One part of them decided to be closer to the EU by signing the association agreements. That’s why new relations with Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia are much richer, more inclusive and demanding,” noted Piotr Switalski. As for the relations with Armenia, the EU Ambassador stressed, that Armenia will be active in two processes at the same time. “One part is the negotiations with the EU over signing new agreement and another- discussion of new neighborhood policy. At first, we must carry out signing of new framework agreement, which will happen in December in Brussels. We have received rather strong signs from the Armenian leadership that all the issues, which relate to human rights, democracy, justice, inner affairs, will be maintained in the form they were in the framework of association agreement negotiations. It is obvious that the part, which relates to the trade sector, will be much weaker than in the previous agreement, which related to deep and collective trade. We must clarify the part connected with investments of new agreement and the issue of provision of services,” he said. During the meeting, the journalist of “A1+” addressed a question to Ambassador by asking to comment on the statement made last week during the Youth Conference in Yerevan that he signs every week EUR 1 million for Armenia’s governmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as to note to which sectors that money is allocated. Piotr Switalski answered: “This year within the frames of cooperation with Armenia we have spent EUR 15 million, which is rather serious sum of money. Our investments are directed to various sectors- starting from solid waste management, water cleaning projects, construction of new buildings for courts and so on. And for the project on human rights a large financial package was allocated to the state budget. But the fact, that you addressed such a fundamental question, means that we must carry out serious work in order to increase the visibility of the EU projects.”
