Yerevan to host European movement congress within EaP

 September 16, 2011 - 16:14 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - On October 20-21, “Fostering Civil Society’s role for further European integration in the Eastern Partnership countries” congress will be held in Yerevan.

“The congress aims to discuss a range of issues by EaP participating state parliamentarians,” Viktor Yengibaryan, President of the European Movement in Armenia told journalists.

According to Yengibaryan, issues of facilitating visa regime, internal political reforms and the issue of fostering civil society’s role in the process of European integration will be covered.

The opening ceremony will be attended by Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton, who will visit Armenia to especially attend the congress. Yerevan declaration will be adopted at the closure of works. The conference will be attended by delegations from all Eastern Partnership countries, Azerbaijan among them.

According to Yengibaryan, Armenia’s delegation intends to raise the issue of conflict zone funding within the frames of the Eastern Partnership, envisaging funding for Artsakh as well.

The EU Eastern Partnership project was presented by the Polish Foreign Minister at the Council of General Affairs and External Relations in 2008 attended by Sweden. On may 7 in 2009, The European Union formally launched the Eastern Partnership Initiative at its Prague summit, setting, within the framework of its Neighbourhood Policy, the goal of developing economic and political relations between the EU and six former Soviet Republics: Armenia, Ukraine, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Belarus.