Co-President of Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, Head of the European Parliament Delegation Andrius Kubilius and Head of the Armenian Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly Gayane Abrahamyan have made a joint statement referring to EU assistance to Armenia to mitigate the negative impact of the COVID-19 crisis, to protect democracy, to support the judiciary reforms and other spheres.
The statement notes that the European Union (EU) is a key reform partner and the authors welcome Armenia’s commitment to implement reforms in the judiciary and the police while addressing the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.
“We appreciate the progress made by Armenia in the area of justice reform. We welcome the European Union’s strong commitment to help Armenia develop the highest standards of judicial system.”
The Heads of the Delegations stressed that successful implementation of the comprehensive reforms by Armenia, in areas such as rule of law, justice and the fight against corruption, will create new incentives for an ambitious path towards European integration and the next steps to be taken by Armenia and for further cooperation.
In regard to the crisis created due to COVID-19, the counterparts noted that the European Union, being the largest donor and partner in Armenia, stands together with Armenia in a moment of crisis with strong solidarity and international cooperation. Hence, the EU has increased its annual average assistance from EUR 40,000,000 to EUR 65,000,000 million, as well as the EU is committed to provide over EUR 92,000,000 in grants for bilateral support. The Rapid Response Mechanism has already ensured distribution of humanitarian aid packages to over 3,000 vulnerable households, in Shirak, Tavush and Lori regions. Additionally, over 350 school-age children will gain access to distance learning tools ensuring equal access to educational activities organized by their schools.
Andrius Kubilius and Gayane Abrahamyan noted that the cooperation based on the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the European Union is growing into an enhanced and strategically reinforced partnership between Armenia and the European Union. Stressing the effective implementation of the Armenia-EU Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreements, the Heads of the Delegations expressed hope that the launch of the Visa Liberalization Dialogue (VLD) shall be the next milestone to closer cooperation and increased mobility in the near future.
