Treaty of Lisbon coming into force won't affect Armenia-EU relations

PanARMENIAN.Net - With Treaty of Lisbon coming into force, Armenia-EU relations will not undergo any changes, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Karine Ghazinyan said.



"Collaboration between Armenia and the European Union has already been established. Europe will face organizational issues only, I believe," she told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.



Ms. Ghazinyan voiced hope that internal changes in Europe will help development of Armenia-EU collaboration. "An EU delegation will arrive in Yerevan on December 9 to discuss Armenia's commitment to human rights. This testifies our intention to get closer to the European family," she said.



The Treaty of Lisbon is an international agreement signed in Lisbon on 13 December 2007 designed to change the workings of the European Union (EU). Having been ratified by all EU member states, the treaty will enter into force on 1 December 2009.



Changes include more qualified majority voting in the Council of Minister, increased involvement of the European Parliament in the legislative process through extended codecision with the Council of Ministers, eliminating the pillar system and the creation of a President of the European Council with a term of two and a half years and a High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to present a united position on EU policies. The Treaty will also make the Union's human rights charter, the Charter of Fundamental Rights, legally binding.