From 4 to 7 March, Armenia’s former President Serzh Sargsyan conducted a  working visit to Brussels where he held meetings with European politicians.  

In Brussels he met with the former European Council president who was recently appointed as head of the European People’s Party (EPP), Donald Tusk. During the meeting, at the request of the president of the European People’s Party, Serzh Sargsyan presented the latest developments in Armenian domestic politics. The speakers also touched upon the growing and effective cooperation with the Republican Party of Armenia within the scope of the European People’s Party and the future actions. Donald Tusk and Serzh Sargsyan exchanged views on regional issues and challenges. Serzh Sargsyan emphasized the importance of the international partnership from the perspective of the development of democracy in Armenia and the strengthening of regional stability. The risks of populism for real democracy were touched upon. Serzh Sargsyan emphasized that any change must be made within the scope of the Constitution and exclusively legal procedures, through maximum involvement of relevant specialized institutions and based on the conclusions of experts.

He also met with Traian Basescu, a member of the European Parliament, who served as president of Romania from 2004-2014. He also visited the Wilfried Martens Center for European Studies, an EPP think-tank, and met with its president, Slovakia’s former Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda.

Sargsyan’s visit to Brussels was conducted during the court proceedings over an alleged embezzlement of Armenia’s public funds.  Sargsyan signed a pledge not to leave Armenia when the charges were presented to him on 4 December 2019. His lawyer Amram Makinyan argued that the meeting in Brussels was a pre-planned working visit and that Sargsyan’s legal team requested a court permission for him to leave the country, which in the end was allowed.

Sargsyan and other officials were charged over an alleged organized embezzlement of 489 million drams (just over $1 million) in government funds allocated in 2013 for the provision of subsidized diesel fuel to farmers (Caucasus Watch reported).