YEREVAN. – Armenia must build its state on the basis of European values. 

Coalition government’s junior member Orinats Yerkir (Rule of Law) Party (RLP) Vice-Chairman Mher Shahgeldyan, who is also Secretary of the RLP National Assembly Faction, stated the aforesaid at a press conference on Tuesday. 

In his words, Armenia-European Union (EU) relations have a large framework.

“We stress the importance of carrying out reforms in the governing bodies, [and] in the judicial and economic establishment.    

“The second important matter is that our contacts with the European associates show the clear will to continued cooperation,” Shahgeldyan noted.

Following the talks that were held on September 3, 2013 in Moscow between Armenian and Russian Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir Putin, Sargsyan had announced that Armenia plans to join the Customs Union and subsequently engage in the formation of the Eurasian Economic Union. And the road map for Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union was recently introduced. Aside from Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan likewise are members in the Customs Union. Following Sargsyan’s aforementioned announcement, however, Armenia’s initialing of the EU Association Agreement became impossible.       

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am