Representatives of Armenia’s government and legislature, heads of diplomatic missions accredited to Armenia and members of civil society today attended an event dedicated to the entry into force of the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia reports.

Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia Andrea Wiktorin and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ara Aivazian delivered their welcoming remarks at the event.

In his speech, Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan stated the following: “The end of ratification of the Agreement and its entry into force are truly important for the deepening of Armenia-European Union relations. It should be mentioned that effective implementation of the Agreement will have a tangible impact on our citizens’ lives and various sectors of business.”

In her speech, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia Andrea Wiktorin emphasized that the European Union is willing to assist Armenia in the process of reforms for the development of Armenia and its citizens.

Congratulating his colleagues on the entry into force of the Agreement, Foreign Minister Ara Aivazian highly appreciated the efforts of the task forces of Armenia and the European Union for making the entry into force of the Agreement possible. Aivazian emphasized that the strengthening of relations with the EU and its member states that are hinged on common values and mutual pretensions, is a key priority for Armenia. “Taking about common values, we can’t overlook how those values were repressed and violated through the use of force against peaceful civilians in Artsakh. The large-scale military aggression of Azerbaijan against the population of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) lasted 44 days and led to the emergence of a new and unstable situation in the region, with all the possible negative consequences. We are truly facing new challenges, but alongside this, our determination to support exercise of the right of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to self-determination has not been undermined. I would like to stress that, in the context of the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement clearly cites the mentioned right which is particularly important now since the main goal of the war that Azerbaijan unleashed was to deprive the people of Nagorno-Karabakh of their rights, particularly the right to self-determination.”

Minister Aivazian also called the attendees’ attention to an issue that is of primary importance for Armenia, that is, the immediate release and safe return of prisoners of war and civilians being kept as hostages by Azerbaijan, including women, and in this regard, he highly appreciated the EU’s position. “Armenia believes the EU and EU member states should have a lot more to say about this because this concerns not only regional security and stability, but also the lives of certain people,” Aivazian emphasized.