November 24, 2017 - 17:28 AMT
Armenia often credited for bringing integration bodies closer: president

2017 can be considered an important milestone in the quarter-century relations between the European Union and Armenia which is marked by the signing of the new Comprehensive and Enhanced Agreement, president Serzh Sargsyan said in his address to the Eastern Partnership Summit in Brussels on Friday, November 24.

According to him, the document is a comprehensive one, reflecting the significant development in bilateral relations and the necessary guidelines for deepening the ties.

"This is not a mere legal document, but the reflection of the shared system of values which is based on human rights and basic freedoms," the president said.

"The agreement stems from such important provisions as the rule of law, the strengthening of justice, the development of state and public institutions, good governance. Adherence to these provisions is vitally important for the successful implementation of reforms in Armenia."

Also, Sargsyan said the significance of the deal is not limited to Armenia-EU relations, as "many international colleagues describe Armenia as a country facilitating the rapprochement between various integration bodies."

"I'd like to stress that Armenia's goal in the entire process was the deepening of bilateral and multilateral ties," he said.

The agreement will be signed later on Friday.