The development of the new Armenia-EU partnership agenda started in February, and the purpose of this work is to further deepen relations with Armenia. This was stated by Ambassador Vassilis Maragos, Head of the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Armenia, during Thursday’s parliamentary hearing on the new prospects and challenges of Armenia's European integration.

According to him, the new agenda, which is currently being worked on, aims to update the existing cooperation agenda, and it will be based on the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Armenia and the EU.

It will also prioritize how to work together to help achieve CEPA's goals faster and determine what more can be done. The new agenda will be based on previous cooperation, but it will be more tangible, added Maragos.

During the development, as the EU ambassador mentioned, a number of elements are taken into account such as human rights and democracy, foreign policy and security, economic cooperation and sectoral issues, as well as energy, trade and economic diversity and diversification, infrastructures, etc.

Since they are developing a new agenda, they are not sitting idle. Work is being carried out in all directions. Both the EU and Armenia agree that their relations have never developed so dynamically, the EU diplomat emphasized.

Maragos noted that it is now vital that the CEPA is fully implemented, especially in terms of standards and their meeting with international norms.

Meeting these standards is the main challenge, but reaching these standards will lead to the fact that Armenia's economy will keep up with the times, added the EU ambassador.

Also, he reminded that 550 million euros were allocated to Armenia within the framework of the EU support program. A total of 120 million of them went to implement more than 35 projects in Syunik Province of Armenia; in particular, to investments in infrastructure, development of civil society, increasing the level of employment, and transition to a green economy.