EU remains Armenia’s main sponsor, Stepan Grigoryan

YEREVAN, January 20. /ARKA/. The European Union remains Armenia’s main sponsor, according to Stepan Grigoryan, head of the Yerevan-based Analytical Center on Globalization and Regional Cooperation.

"The EU is showing the greatest assistance to Armenia for implementation of different programs. That is why the refugee crisis in Europe may create problems for us as well,’ said Grigoryan.

He added that another major challenge affecting Armenia is the economic situation in Russia.  "Also, there are internal crises in Turkey and Azerbaijan, which have also problems related to the protection of human rights. I am not happy about it , since the severe socio-economic situation in Azerbaijan may affect the efforts for the resolution of the Karabakh issue,"  said Grigoryan .  According to Grigoryan, Armenia must learn to respond quickly to the current challenges.

 Armenia and EU launched talks on a new framework agreement on December 7, 2015 after EU Foreign Affairs Council authorized the European Commission and the High Representative to open negotiations on a new legal basis for relations with Armenia on October 13.

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 Armenia’s president Serzh Sargsyan announced that the country was going to become part of the Russian-led Customs Union. The new agreement will replace the current agreement on partnership and cooperation between the EU and Armenia.-0-

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16:29 01/20/2016