EU, Armenia getting closer to new deal (video)
2016 was a good year for Armenia and the European Union, a senior EU diplomat said on Tuesday. Piotr Switalski, the head of the EU Delegation in Armenia, told journalists today that the two sides had ‘intense political dialogue’ in 2016. “We held six rounds of discussions on a new framework agreement between the EU and Armenia. The framework deal primarily concerned the political sector. In addition to it, we held negotiations to deepen economic and commercial ties. We hope that the framework agreement will become a reality, the prospect is quite optimistic. The sides are very close to the signing of the new deal,” Mr Switalski stressed. The EU representative said 2016 was exceptional. “We set a new record in terms of money transfers from Brussels: Armenia received around 62 million euros in financial aid, EUR 7 million of which was allocated to the preparation of the next elections. The European Union will keep the April 2 parliamentary elections in Armenia in the centre of its attention. Speaking about the installation of cameras to be installed at polling stations under an agreement reached during the 4+4+4 format meetings between the Armenian opposition and pro-government forces, Mr Switalski said ‘the hard work is to be carried out in a short period of time.’ At the same time, he called for ‘a reasonable compromise.’ The EU diplomat added that the applicant [participating in the tender] has proposed price for the demanding parameters, whereas the parameters are too high, given the funds available. “I am moderately optimistic and I believe that a solution will be found which would be acceptable to all. We call for a reasonable compromise. We already know that the best solution cannot be found but we believe that everything has been done and there are no loopholes,” he said. Although there had been no talk about any applicant, Mr Switalski today spoke about the applicant's claims and requirements. When asked about the key parameters set by the applicant, the EU official said, “Intense discussions have been held on the issue in the past days. Three of the parliamentary committees worked until late at night, discussing all possible options. A decision is to be taken in the coming days and hours, considering the shortage of time.”
