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EU Insists On ‘National Dialogue’ In Armenia


Belgium - EU flags in front of European Commission in Brussels.
Belgium - EU flags in front of European Commission in Brussels.

The European Union called on Armenia’s government and leading political forces on Friday to overcome the continuing political turmoil in the country through a dialogue.

“We continue to believe that it is imperative that the current situation is resolved swiftly and peacefully,” Maja Kocijancic, an EU foreign policy spokesman, told RFE/RL in Brussels.

“In this context, a national dialogue involving all political stakeholders remains crucial,” she said. “We support the consultations that are currently led by President [Amen] Sarkissian.”

“And more broadly, the European Union is looking forward to continuing to take forward the EU-Armenia agenda, which is based on the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement,” added Kocijancic.

Kocijancic did not say whether the EU supports opposition leader Nikol Pashinian’s demands for the Armenian parliament to appoint him as interim prime minister and call snap general elections. Pashinian insists that this is the only possible solution to the crisis.

The EU official similarly called for an “inclusive dialogue” in Armenia on April 22, the day before massive street protests organized by Pashinian forced Prime Minister Serzh Sarkissian to step down.

The United States has also repeatedly urged Armenian political factions to end the two-week standoff through negotiations.

“We urge all sides to engage constructively in dialogue within the legal framework of the Armenian constitution,” Harry Kamian, the acting head of the U.S. mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said on Thursday. “We look forward to working closely with the new government on our many areas of shared interest.

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