EU-Armenia Action Plan to Make Political and Economic System of RA Closer to Europe

PanARMENIAN.Net - Once the EU-Armenia Action Plan within the ENP is signed, we'll be able to publicly present the entire document, Armenian FM Vartan Oskanian stated after the singing of a joint statement with the EU Troika on completion of consultations for working out the Action Plan. "Let me just tell you that it says clearly, at the outset, that through this Action Plan, Armenia is invited to enter into intensified political, security, economic and cultural relations with the EU, enhanced regional and cross border co-operation and shared responsibility in conflict prevention and conflict resolution," he said. In Oskanian's words, the document, goes on to detail each of these categories, and sets a 5-year time period during which each of these actions will take place.



"The distinction of this document, as the joint statement clearly says, is that it involves significant measures of economic integration and political cooperation. It's called an Action Plan and rightly so. It is not just a document of intentions, but of concrete actions to bring Armenia's social, political, economic systems more in line with Europe's since the premise is that we do in fact live in the same neighborhood and interact together. It opens new partnership perspectives in very basic fields such as science, education, culture, and of course in economic development," Oskanian remarked. In his words, these reforms are extremely important for Armenia. "We are where we are today, exactly because we made the courageous economic reforms on Day 1 of our independence. We knew then and we know even better today that reforms are our only resource, they are what will strengthen and empower our society. This document provides the opportunity to move forward with reforms in a focused, strategic way. It gives us a way and a means to do what we know we must do - revamp our institutions, retool our society, rethink our methods and assumptions. We are signing this on the 15th year of our independence, it will be concluded on the 20th year of our independence, and we will be able to mark a new turning point in Armenia's future as a more democratic, open and prosperous society," the Minister noted.