Armenia deal taking center stage at Brussels summit: RFE/RLNovember 24, 2017 - 11:17 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The leaders of the European Union and the six Eastern Partnership countries will meet in Brussels on Friday, November 24 in an effort to deepen ties between the EU and the former Soviet republics. The summit's main event will likely be the signing of an enhanced EU partnership deal with Armenia, RFE/RL's Rikard Jozwiak said in an article on Thursday. Armenia previously negotiated an EU Association Agreement. But Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan walked away from the deal in 2013 under pressure from Russia. Armenia later joined the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). However, Sargsyan told RFE/RL's Armenian Service upon arrival in Brussels on Thursday that Russia has never reproached him for cooperating with the EU. "All this time I've never heard from any Russian leader, and especially from President Vladimit Putin so much as a word of reproach about Armenia's cooperation with the EU," Sargsyan said. Furthermore, the Armenian president said that there is no contradiction between Yerevan's EU partnership and its membership in the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union. "By signing this agreement we're saying that indeed it is possible to be a member of the Eurasian Economic Union and also be a member of the Eastern Partnership," Sargsyan said. One paragraph concerning conflicts in the region has been left open after both Armenia and Azerbaijan wanted specific, but conflicting, statements on the breakaway Azerbaijani region of Nagorno Karabakh, according to a draft text seen by RFE/RL. However, Armenia's Sargsyan told RFE/RL that he will not obstruct the signing of the final declaration over the mention of the Karabakh conflict in the summit's final declaration. Read also: EPP statement backs Armenia-EU deal, peaceful Karabakh settlement Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Freedom House concerned by mounting reports of police violence in Armenia Freedom House urged Armenian authorities to investigate this pattern of excessive force and inhumane treatment. Ex-President: Only removal of “defeatist” rulers can save Armenia Former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has shared a message on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Pashinyan: We must stop searching for homeland, we have found that homeland Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has shared a message on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. |