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At December 3 press conference convened by the members of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee (PCC) the results of the next 13^th meeting of the EU-Armenia PCC was held in Brussels on November 28-29. Deputies of the National Assembly Co-Chair of the Committee Samvel Farmanyan (RPA), Alexander Arzumanyan (Heritage), Nikol Pashinyan (ANC), Tigran Urikhanyan (PAP), Karen Botoyan (Country of Law) and Vahram Baghdasaryan took part in the parliamentary delegation at the Brussels meeting.

According to the Head of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee Samvel Farmanyan, the PCC Meeting has been held in a period, when Armenia-European Union contacts and political dialogue are rather lively. In his word, there is considerable progress in the direction of Association Agreement negotiations, there is rather dynamic development of negotiations over the agreements on Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), the document on entry visa regime facilitation and readmission is pre-signed, and the RA-EU cooperation in the spheres has been activated.

In the name of the delegation he positively assessed the Final Statement adopted as a result of the meeting, where there have also been recommendations. Samvel Farmanyan thanked all members of the delegation for consent and unity, as a result of which positive formulations expressing the Armenian side’s positions were included in the adopted statement by mutual consent.

The EU-Armenia PCC Co-Chair detailed the content of the statement, where in particular the intensification of Armenia-EU relations and pretentious perspectives in political, economic, cultural and other spheres is highly appreciated. Samvel Farmanyan deemed important the affirmation of the fact that the negotiating sides were called on to make all efforts for ending the negotiations over the agreements on DCFTA, if necessary, before the Eastern Partnership Summit to be held in Vilnius.

The decision of Armenia, by which from January 10, 2013 the necessity of entry permission for visiting the RA is eliminated for all citizens of the EU and Schengen Agreement countries, is welcoming.

It’s important to deem that Armenia-EU cooperation is directed to boost the priority of deepening of reforms and provision of irreversibility in the RA.

In the document on the support being shown by the EU it is noted that within the framework of the Eastern Partnership the Reform programme of Armenia is fully recognized, and it is called on to provide adequate assistance, according to the principle “More For More,” the launching of the preparatory works aimed at the further deepening of the reforms and the Donors International Forum is welcomed.

Touching upon the issues of regional stability, the sides expressed conviction that there cannot be any alternative in connection with the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, at the same time expressing regret on the absence of the progress in the negotiation process. The importance of going to secure and prosperous future building beyond the frameworks of the existing status quo has been underlined. The affirmation of this provision, according to the speaker, is very important especially in the background of military rhetoric activated by Azerbaijan recently. The sides have reaffirmed their support to the work of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs directed to the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, as well as to all principles without exception, which are laid in the basis of the negotiation process.

Samvel Farmanyan underscored the affirmation of the provision, according to which, the RA MPs highlighted together with the European Parliament the importance of reaching agreement over the basic principles of the conflict settlement as an essential step aimed at the elaboration of the comprehensive agreement of peace.

In the document it is noted that the final legal status of the Nagorno Karabakh should be defined by the citizens’ free will. As to Samvel Farmanyan, this is a new formulation in the context of the documents adopted in the parliamentary format, which is positively assessed.

The necessity of drawing back from the line of contact the snipers was also not overturned, as the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, the international structures demand.

It was also recorded that Armenia completely defends the joint statement adopted by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia in Sochi in March 2011, by which particularly, it is called on to create a functioning mechanism of preventing incidents and implementing independent investigation the violations of ceasefire regime along the line of contact.

This document condemns the Azerbaijani President’s decision, by which the criminal Ramil Safarov, who was sentenced by the courts of the EU member country was pardoned, and deep concern is expressed in connection with the latter’s heroizing after extradition to Azerbaijan, but also promotes the further growth of tension in the region: any such provocation is condemned.

Samvel Farmanyan also deemed achievement the talk on the opening of the Stepanakert Airport in the statement: the Committee welcomes all the statements, which promote the peaceful settlement of the conflict and reminded that the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs had received new assurances from all sides that according to international law, they refuse any experience of the force of the civil planes or the use of its threat and they will abstain from the politicization of that issue.

“Such formulations on Nagorno Karabakh come to prove that the international community and Armenia speak on Artsakh problem in the same language, and gradually the isolation of Azerbaijan’s state approaches become evident,” the Head of the EU-Armenia PCC.

The Committee with its statement condemns the fact of the Armenian-Turkish two protocols not being ratified, which were signed in Zurich in 2009, and in that context calls on the sides, particularly, to Turkey, to fulfill its obligations, underlines the importance of making efforts directed at the ratification of the Zurich protocols and promoting the improvement of the relations, opening one-sided closed border. In Samvel Farmanyan’s word, the final formulation is also a new manifestation in the documents ratified during the recent years by the EU. He also highlighted the affirmation of the provision that the process of the improvement of Armenia-Turkey relations and the negotiations of the OSCE Minsk Group should not be interconnected and the policy directed at economic isolation of any country of the region was deemed inadmissible.

In the document there is also a reference to the resolution on recognizing the Armenian Genocide by the European Parliament in 1987. The speaker also deemed important that support is expressed to the integration of Armenia’s political forces and active involvement to the political families of the European Union.

Presenting his views the member of the EU-Armenia PCC Tigran Urikhanyan particularly highlighted the circumstance that before convening the meeting the Committee members had visited the NKR, getting opportunity to present during the negotiations by mediation the expectation of the Artsakh authorities, the National Assembly and the civil society. He also greatly emphasized the united stance of the delegation in relation to the discussed issues.

The other participants of the press conference also underlined this fact. In particular, Alexander Arzumanyan noted that it was possible to be a united team, and the delegation had been led by the RA national interest. In his turn Nikol Pashinyan said: “ Understandably, there are reservations with respect to certain formulations, but in general, we may say that we have brought a rather normal document from Brussels.” In Vahram Baghdasaryan’s word, the text of the statement has been adopted due to being united, and what is very important, it has received positive response among the European MPs.

The EU-Armenia PCC members also answered the journalists’ questions.