It is always a pleasure to visit Armenia, and to see the roots of a flourishing culture which has had such an impact across the globe, EU Commissioner Stefan Fule said addressing  meeting with students, civil society media and think tanks in Yerevan.

“At the beginning of the 21st century, the increasingly fast-paced globalisation brings new opportunities; opportunities that go well beyond countries simply seeking to survive, prosper, or furnish citizens with jobs and ensure that their basic needs are met,” he said.

Speaking about Eastern Partnership project, he recalled that Armenia and EU are close to “finalising our Association Agreement, including a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area. I am confident that this will bring concrete benefits and new opportunities to all citizens.”

“In addition to offering an important trade partnership with the EU - a market with 500 million consumers, the Agreement addresses many concrete issues which affect everyday life. As a result, for example, consumer protection, both in terms of product safety and value for money, or road safety, or air quality are improved. What is more, it will also strengthen the links between the people of Armenia and the people of Europe.”

EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy mentioned six priorities in relations with Armenia:

  • Democracy: good progress has been made, but we should continue work to implement all recommendations made by the OSCE after recent elections, including changes to the legislative framework.
  • Human rights: we should ensure effective implementation of the National Human Rights Strategy, which is a basic building block for the shared values we want to encourage in our Association.
  • Fundamental freedoms: to give one example, legislation on broadcasting needs to be modernised in compliance with the recommendations of the OSCE and the Council of Europe.
  • Equality: where steps need to be taken harmonise legislation with the European Union acquis in the areas of gender equality and non-discrimination.
  • Intensifying the fight against corruption: this is a cross-cutting issue with an impact on every aspect of national development.
  • Reforming governance and strengthening institutions: central among these would be measures to reform the law enforcement and judicial sectors, especially to increase public trust in the independence of the judiciary, to improve the training of judges and to review the code of criminal procedure.