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The press conference of the Co-Chairs of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee Milan Cabrnoch and Samvel Farmanyan was held.

Samvel Farmanyan has noted that the cooperation develops in two directions within the framework of EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation and the Euronest of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Eastern Partnership. They have noted that due to technical reasons the meeting of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee has not been held, which was designed to conduct in Yerevan. “We have discussed all possible directions, where we can cooperate and invest our forces. The most important thing is that there is political willingness from both sides to enhance our relations also in the inter-parliamentary format,” Samvel Farmanyan said. He has said that the Co-Chairs of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee adopted a joint statement.

Milan Cabrnoch has assured that the CoE members know Armenia and accept it as a key and main counterpart. “Armenia-EU relations develop, and we support it and attentively follow the processes, which take place in your country. We support the democracy, the protection of human rights, the establishment of the mass media freedom as pillars of European values,” Mr Cabrnoch underlined. Touching upon Armenia’s decision to join the Customs Union, Milan Cabrnoch has said that they meet after a short while of that crucial decision, and the current meeting takes place before the Vilnius Summit. “We respect Armenia’s decision and we think what platforms we should create under these new conditions to continue the cooperation,” the Co-Chair underlined.

The Co-Chairs also answered the journalists’ questions.

Talking about Vilnius Summit Milan Cabrnoch has noted that continuation of the visa facilitation process is expected, which will more facilitate the RA citizens’ entrance to European countries.

Samvel Farmanyan has noted that the deepening of cooperation with the European Union continues to remain one of the priorities of Armenia’s foreign policy. “We greatly highlight the cooperation with the EU in different spheres. A rather intensive process goes on, Yerevan-Brussels, which has a goal to form the new agenda of cooperation and specify the directions, by which the RA-EU relations should continue from now on,” Samvel Farmanyan noted and added that the Armenian side knows very well that in the context of the recent developments there is a certain misunderstanding. He expressed conviction that after the Vilnius Summit, where Armenia would take part, the directions by which the RA-EU cooperation would continue and be specified.

In connection with the issue of visa facilitation Samvel Farmanyan said that in the upcoming four-day sittings it would be voted in the NA, after which the RA President would ratify it. “The visa facilitation is one of the concrete results of cooperation of the past years, which testifies to the efficiency of the RA-EU cooperation in the past years,” the Co-Chair added.

The press conference participants were delivered the joint statement by the Co-Chairs of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee Milan Cabrnoch and Samvel Farmanyan.

The PCC Co-Chairs reconfirm their commitment to further develop relations between the EU and Armenia and build upon the successful cooperation undertaken by parliamentarians of both Houses in the previous years in order to further advance Armenia's European agenda.

The Co-Chairs wish to remind that, in the short term, significant progress can still be expected - notably in sectoral cooperation terms, such as on Armenia's mobility agenda. The Co-Chairs thus welcome the European Parliament giving its green light to the EU-Armenia Visa Facilitation Agreement and expect the National Assembly of RA to do the same before the Vilnius Summit.

The Co-Chairs however understand the difficulties that do not allow any longer proceeding with an Armenia-EU Association Agreement including DCFTA in Vilnius this November, as was initially planned. They nonetheless want to pay tribute to the work and energy shown during 3 ½ years from the negotiators of these agreements, on both sides - and therefore call for the same energy to be demonstrated in order to explore how to move forward, beyond the Vilnius Summit. The Co-Chairs undertake to keep the Parliamentary Cooperation Committee seized of the matter, and to hold a full PCC meeting before the end of the current EP legislature in May 2014.

The PCC Co-Chairs reconfirm their commitment to further develop relations between the EU and Armenia and build upon the successful cooperation undertaken by parliamentarians of both Houses in the previous years in order to further advance Armenia's European agenda.

The Co-Chairs wish to remind that, in the short term, significant progress can still be expected - notably in sectoral cooperation terms, such as on Armenia's mobility agenda. The Co-Chairs thus welcome the European Parliament giving its green light to the EU-Armenia Visa Facilitation Agreement and expect the National Assembly of RA to do the same before the Vilnius Summit.

The Co-Chairs however understand the difficulties that do not allow any longer proceeding with an Armenia-EU Association Agreement including DCFTA in Vilnius this November, as was initially planned. They nonetheless want to pay tribute to the work and energy shown during 3 ½ years from the negotiators of these agreements, on both sides - and therefore call for the same energy to be demonstrated in order to explore how to move forward, beyond the Vilnius Summit. The Co-Chairs undertake to keep the Parliamentary Cooperation Committee seized of the matter, and to hold a full PCC meeting before the end of the current EP legislature in May 2014.