Minister: Armenia looking very much forward to early prompt ratification of CEPA and its full entry into force

YEREVAN, December 18. /ARKA/. Armenia has developed a draft roadmap for those provisions of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the EU, which will soon come into force, Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan said during the third meeting of the Armenia-EU Partnership Council, which took place on December 17 in Brussels.
'We are looking very much forward to the early prompt ratification of CEPA and its full entry into the force, so the effects of our cooperation will amplify and multiply to the benefit of the people of the Republic of Armenia, ' he was quoted as saying by the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It said the agenda of the Council meeting comprised a wide range of Armenia-EU partnership issues related to the political and sectoral dialogue, such as the implementation of the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, prospects for starting a dialogue on the liberalization of the Armenia-EU visa regime and reform agenda in Armenia.
The parties also discussed the problems associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and the EU's assistance to Armenia to fight it.
The parties discussed issues of cooperation in the fields of trade, economy, energy, education and environment protection. During the meeting, the members of the Armenian delegation presented the main directions of the Armenia-EU partnership in their sphere of competence.
Foreign Minister noted that further strengthening of the partnership between Armenia and the EU and its member states remains one of the priorities of Armenia's foreign policy.
“Unfortunately, our common democratic values face many problems, especially in our region, the stability and security of which were clearly undermined by the recent Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression against the indigenous people of Artsakh,” Ayvazyan said.
Touching upon the current stage of the implementation of the CEPA, which serves as the legal basis for Armenia-EU relations, the Foreign Minister noted with satisfaction that the Armenian side has already developed a draft "road map" for those provisions of the agreement that will soon come into force.
The CEPA was signed on November 24, 2017 and ratified by the Armenian Parliament on April 11, 2018. Armenia became the first EEU member country to sign such a document with the EU.
According to the Armenian Foreign Ministry, all 27 EU member states have completed the ratification process, except for one country, which has not yet officially notified the EU secretariat of the completion of the procedures. Although this is a formality, but all countries must notify Brussels, after which it officially recognizes the completion of the ratification process. -0-