On February 12, in Brussels, the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan, held a meeting with Gert Jan Koopman, Director General for EU Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Armenian Foreign Ministry informs. The discussions ahead of the Armenia-EU Partnership Council meeting covered many topics concerning the bilateral agenda between Armenia and the EU. Specifically, they focused on effectively implementing the provisions outlined in the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement and explored opportunities for enhancing cooperation between Armenia and the EU.

The Armenian FM and the General Director also addressed Armenia's participation in regional economic and transport programs. Furthermore, they discussed the potential for advancing the «Crossroads of Peace» project initiated by the Armenian government.

Additionally, Ararat Mirzoyan met with Nathalie Loiseau (Renew Europe, France), who chairs the Subcommittee on Security and Defence of the European Parliament. They discussed matters related to the Armenia-EU partnership agenda, recognizing the EU legislative body's unique role in its promotion. Specifically, they explored prospects for deepening the partnership and discussed mutual efforts aimed at advancing cooperation in various areas. Furthermore, the parties engaged in discussions concerning security issues in the South Caucasus region.

Armenian FM Ararat Mirzoyan also met with Javier Colomina, the NATO Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia. The discussions centered around recent regional developments and efforts to maintain stability in the region. During the meeting, Mirzoyan reaffirmed Armenia's perspective on addressing current challenges, emphasizing the importance of adhering to established principles. The efforts to enhance the Armenia-NATO partnership were touched upon, too.

Armenia-EU Partnership Council Advances Relations in Brussels Meeting

The Armenia-EU Partnership Council convened for its fifth meeting in Brussels on February 13, as reported by the Armenian Foreign Ministry. 

The Partnership Council was chaired by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. The Armenian delegation was led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan. The European Commission’s Director-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Gert Jan Koopman, also participated in the meeting.

During the meeting, both parties reaffirmed their mutual interest and commitment to enhancing their relations based on shared values. They agreed to embark on developing a new Armenia-EU Partnership Agenda aimed at establishing more ambitious joint priorities across all areas of cooperation.

As part of its commitment to supporting forcibly displaced Karabakh Armenians, the EU announced an additional €5.5 million in humanitarian aid. This funding supplements the €12.2 million already allocated to address urgent humanitarian needs, along with the recent €15 million budget support package for socio-economic needs.

The Partnership Council conducted a review of the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The EU praised Armenia's dedication to CEPA implementation, acknowledged the progress made, and encouraged Armenia to continue its reform efforts. The new Partnership Agenda seeks to maximize the potential benefits of the CEPA.

Both parties reiterated their commitment to human rights, the rule of law, and democratic principles. The Council welcomed Armenia's achievements in justice reform, anti-corruption measures, the establishment of a Ministry of Interior, and police service reform, supported by the EU. However, challenges remain in combating discrimination, hate speech, and disinformation, and Armenia pledged to address them. The EU commended Armenia's recent accession to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and encouraged the country to explore capacity-building opportunities.

Acknowledging Armenia’s interest in commencing a visa liberalization dialogue, the Partnership Council noted the EU’s readiness to continue exploring options for such dialogue following discussions in the November 2023 Foreign Affairs Council.

The Partnership Council acknowledged that while the CEPA did not include preferential tariffs for trade in goods, it held significant potential for enhancing bilateral trade flows. Both parties pledged to collaborate in realizing this potential through joint endeavors. Additionally, they committed to cooperating further to prevent circumvention of sanctions, with the EU applauding Armenia's efforts in this area.

“It has been decided to launch a new ambitious agenda of cooperation between the EU and Armenia, taking into account the desire for increased cooperation expressed earlier by the Armenian Prime Minister. Armenia-EU relations are developing in a positive way. We discussed the full range of our relations within the framework of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Armenia,” Josep Borrell said at a joint press conference with Ararat Mirzoyan following the 5th session of the Armenia-EU Partnership Council.

Borrell characterized the decision to launch work on a new Armenia-EU Partnership Agenda as a “strong signal of mutual interest” in entering a new strategic phase in EU-Armenia relations, which "will provide a clear road map and a vision for the way forward.”