On 21 June, the EU and Armenia held the first meeting of the Partnership Council under the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which was signed on 24 November 2017 and entered into provisional operation on 1 June 2018.
The Council is the highest body established under the CEPA to supervise the implementation of the agreement and to discuss issues of mutual interest. Armenia and the EU expressed their willingness to expand and deepen cooperation within the framework of this new legal basis, the Eastern Partnership and the reviewed European Neighbourhood Policy.
“Relations between the European Union and Armenia have gone from strength to strength in recent weeks and months. The most visible illustration of this is our new bilateral agreement – the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement,” said EU High Representative Federica Mogherini.
“The EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement is an ambitious agreement that can play a very important role in particular in bringing benefits to Armenian citizens, but also to European Union citizens.”
The Partnership Council welcomed the peaceful nature of the recent protests in Armenia, which led to a democratic change of government in accordance with the Constitutional framework.
The Partnership Council recalled that the EU-Armenia Partnership Priorities will shape the EU’s assistance priorities for Armenia, for which more than €160 million is earmarked for the period 2017-2021. The Partnership Council stressed the need to make the best possible use of these resources, with a view to supporting the implementation of the CEPA and improving the living conditions of citizens in a visible and tangible manner.
