On Tuesday 23 May, Armenia's Foreign Affairs Minister Edward Nalbandian announced that an enhanced comprehensive partnership agreement between the EU and Armenia could be signed at the Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels on 24 November.
"I expect the agreement to be signed at the Brussels summit" he told press at the end of the 17th EU-Armenia Association Council. The negotiations were launched in December 2015 (see EUROPE 11447) and were concluded in March 2017 (see EUROPE 11735). In Nalbandian's view, this summit could also be the opportunity for finalising the agreement on common air space and the Creative Europe programme.
While Nalbandian spoke about the "very impressive results" in EU-Armenia relations since the last Cooperation Council on 18 January 2016 (see EUROPE 11471), he said he expected a still closer partnership. "Armenia is a very important partner for the EU (...) The EU wants to extend and deepen cooperation" with Yerevan, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini also stated, saying that the EU was Armenia's top trading partner, its top donor and a significant partner for its reforms. She added that the EU would continue to support Armenia's reforms, be they on economic development, the business environment, judicial reform, human rights or the fight against corruption. During the meeting, the European side also stated that the shortfalls observed in the parliamentary elections should be taken into account appropriately.
The EU and Armenian representatives also discussed resolution of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno Karabakh. Mogherini stated that the EU wanted "a swift political solution in agreement with international law". The normalisation of relations between Armenia and Turkey, and also the international situation (especially the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the conflict in Syria) were also addressed, according to Mogherini and Nalbandian. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)