YEREVAN. – The European Union (EU) respects Armenia’s foreign policy decision, and we are seeking new avenues and formats for cooperation. 

European Parliament member Milan Cabrnoch, who is European Chairman of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, noted the aforesaid during a press conference on Thursday.

“EU countries recognize Armenia as a key partner. We have close cooperation with Armenia. Armenia-EU relations continue developing, and we continue to assist in this process as well as to the development of democracy, protection of freedom of speech, [and] defense of human rights in the country.

“The meeting with the President of Armenia was very transparent, and he presented me the reasons why [official] Yerevan made a landmark decision for the country’s foreign policy,” Cabrnoch stated, in particular.

To note, following the talks that were held on September 3 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. Aside from Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan likewise are members in the Customs Union. And in response to this development, the European Union had stated that the signing of the Armenia-EU Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area agreement is now doubtful.