Brussels, 07/12/2011 (Agence Europe) - After Ukraine, and now Georgia and Moldova, Armenia hopes to begin negotiations on a free-trade area with the EU at the start of 2012.
On the sidelines of his visit to Brussels on 5 December, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan informed European Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht of his hopes that negotiations on a deep and comprehensive trade agreement would be opened early in the new year. Just like Ukraine, which will probably conclude a trade pact before the end of the year as part of an association agreement with the EU, and also Georgia and Moldova, which are about to embark on similar trade talks with the EU at the start of next year, Armenia hopes that it, in turn, will be able to conclude an agreement on a free-trade area with the EU within the Eastern Partnership. “During the meeting, the two men discussed issues and prospects of trade and economic cooperation between Armenia and the EU, in particular, an agreement on deep and comprehensive free trade”, the press service of the Armenian government reports, according to the national press agency Arka. Sargsyan assured De Gucht that Armenia has put in place all the preconditions and set out for him the process of reform implemented in Armenia. (EH/transl.rt)