CEPA to come into force before June, Nalbandian says
29.01.2018,
15:24
The Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) that Armenia and the European Union signed last November, will be ratified and enter into force before June, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said on Monday.
YEREVAN, January 29. /ARKA/. The Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) that Armenia and the European Union signed last November, will be ratified and enter into force before June, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said on Monday.
According to the minister, the agreement marks a certain level of relations, after which it is necessary to summarize the achievements and outline the steps for the coming years.
"Now we are concentrating our efforts on the process of ratification of this important document. Armenia announced that it is taking steps to have it ratified before April, but we are one step ahead already and we hope that the document will be ratified by all EU countries without obstacles," Nalbandian said.
At the same time, Nalbandian stressed that Armenia will continue to actively engage in other programs in which it already participates or plans to join, saying also that that cooperation ranges from aviation to culture.
"We intend to make efforts to develop and expand our cooperation with all European countries," Nalbandian said.
The Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement was initialed on March 21, 2017, by Armenia and the European Union. The agreement will enter into force after all 28 EU member states and Armenia ratify it.
Armenia and the EU were supposed to sign the Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) at a 2013 November Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius but on September 3 Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan announced that the country was going to become part of the Russian-led Customs Union.
On December 7, 2015 Armenia and the EU launched talks on a new framework agreement after EU Foreign Affairs Council authorized earlier the European Commission and the High Representative to open negotiations on a new legal basis for relations with Armenia. -0--
According to the minister, the agreement marks a certain level of relations, after which it is necessary to summarize the achievements and outline the steps for the coming years.
"Now we are concentrating our efforts on the process of ratification of this important document. Armenia announced that it is taking steps to have it ratified before April, but we are one step ahead already and we hope that the document will be ratified by all EU countries without obstacles," Nalbandian said.
At the same time, Nalbandian stressed that Armenia will continue to actively engage in other programs in which it already participates or plans to join, saying also that that cooperation ranges from aviation to culture.
"We intend to make efforts to develop and expand our cooperation with all European countries," Nalbandian said.
The Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement was initialed on March 21, 2017, by Armenia and the European Union. The agreement will enter into force after all 28 EU member states and Armenia ratify it.
Armenia and the EU were supposed to sign the Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) at a 2013 November Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius but on September 3 Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan announced that the country was going to become part of the Russian-led Customs Union.
On December 7, 2015 Armenia and the EU launched talks on a new framework agreement after EU Foreign Affairs Council authorized earlier the European Commission and the High Representative to open negotiations on a new legal basis for relations with Armenia. -0--
