EU mulls new cooperation format with EaP states: officialMay 12, 2015 - 13:31 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The European Union can offer a new cooperation format to the states which aren’t willing to be closely integrated into the bloc, an EU official said. As Tert.am reports citing Russian media, speaking in Brussels, Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy Johannes Hahn said he admits that the issue is very delicate and varies from country to country, with some seeking close cooperation and others interested in other formats of partnership. He called for developing new platforms to boost relations. Eastern Partnership is an EU project aimed to promote cooperation among six ex-Soviet countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine). At its upcoming summit in Riga, Latvia, Armenia and Azerbaijan are set to conduct talks over the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. “3 members of the European Unions’ Eastern Partnership (Azerbaijan, Armenia and Belarus) must take the opportunity extended by the initiative to develop a mutually beneficial cooperation, Latvian Foreign Minister,” the EU Council chairman Edgars Rinkevics said last week. “We also seek to assist the countries not yet affiliated with the WTO in joining the organization. WTO membership will open up a range of new opportunities for the countries in question.” “With Azerbaijan, EU can renew a dialogue on new terms of cooperation in the sectors of economy and free trade. With Belarus, a more structured and regular dialogue could be started. With Armenia, the EU is ready to consider a new agreement,” Rinkevics said. Specific interests of these countries should be taken into account here, to be included into the statement of the Eastern Partnership summit in Riga, he concluded. 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 | Government reveals details from Pashinyan’s meeting in border village Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with a group of residents of a border village in Armenia’s northern Tavush province Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Azerbaijan must respect human rights, Scholz tells Aliyev German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for greater respect for human rights in Azerbaijan. |