Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian expressed a hope for “productive” discussions as he spoke ahead of the Eastern Partnership summit, which opens in Brussels on November 24.
As part of his working visit to Belgium, the Armenian leader on Thursday attended the summit of the European People’s Party (EPP), which was chaired by EPP President Joseph Daul.
The summit was also attended by European Council and European Commission Presidents Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani, as well as the heads of state and government representing EPP-member countries and Eastern Partnership-member states.
The summit’s discussions focused on topical issues of Pan-European significance and preparations for the Eastern Partnership summit, which will focus on issues of further strengthening cooperation in the priority spheres as defined at the Riga Summit in 2015.
President Sarkisian delivered a speech at the EPP summit, in which, according to his press office, he addressed “the agenda of EU-Armenia cooperation and the dynamics of relationship development, the importance of those issues of interest to Armenia to be discussed at the EPP and Eastern Partnership summits in Brussels, the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Armenia and the European Union, as well as inter-party cooperation-related activities.”
The signing of the CEPA, an agreement aimed at significantly deepening EU-Armenia relations, is expected to become the main event at the Eastern Partnership summit today.
Sarkisian is also the leader of Armenia’s ruling Republican Party (HHK), which has been a member of the EPP with an observer status since 2012. “The HHK’s cooperation with the EPP has become one of the most important platforms for Armenia’s involvement in European politics,” Sarkisian stressed in his speech.
The Armenian leader also reportedly noted the November 15 resolution of the European Parliament that qualifies Armenia as “a country which successfully combines its Eurasian Economic Union membership with participation in the EU Neighborhood Strategy.” In this view, Sarkisian gave assurances that “in the future as well, Armenia will abide by the aforementioned formula of co-existence.”
In his speech President Sarkisian also expressed a hope that “tomorrow’s discussions at the EU Eastern Partnership Summit will be so productive as to make the joint initiatives more targeted, and the results more visible and tangible for societies.”
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