HALONEN: ARMENIA SHOWS SERIOUS APPROACH TO EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

PanARMENIAN.Net - Finnish President Tarja Halonen noted Armenian authorities have done «much work to prepare the Plan of Actions within the European Neighborhood Policy.» She stated it in the course of a joint press conference with Armenian President Robert Kocharian. She expressed hope for the Plan to be ready by the latter half of 2006, when Finland will assume EU presidency. «Armenia shows very serious approach to European integration,» she noted. In his turn R. Kocharian expressed hope for the parties to come to agreement over the Plan of Actions by the end of the year. The Armenian leader remarked, «the process has been protracted, however it is not our guilt.» In R. Kocharian's words, the Plan of Actions provides for continuing reforms in all respects and «Yerevan expects Finland to assume 2-3 directions it is most strong in during EU presidency.» The Armenian and Finnish Presidents noted that the Armenian-Turkish relations and the Karabakh settlement were discussed in the course of the talks in Yerevan. T. Halonen noted she had invited R. Kocharian to visit Finland on an official call.