On March 19, Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian received the EU delegation led by Gunnar Wiegand, EU Chief Negotiator over the Armenia-EU Association Agreement and Director for Russia, Eastern Partnership, Central Asia, Regional Cooperation and OSCE at the European External Action Service, who arrived in Armenia to take part in the 12th plenary session of the negotiations between Armenia and the European Union over the Association Agreement.

Welcoming the guest, Minister Nalbandian noted that the negotiations over the Association Agreement launched since July 2010 are coming to a final stage thanks to the efforts. The negotiations over the creation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area are effectively underway, as well.

Minister Nalbandian said that Armenia's authorities, headed by the President of the Republic, have undertaken large-scale reforms to strengthen democratic institutions and rule of law, to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, to improve electoral processes and appropriate legislature, and to strengthen the role of civil society.

Those efforts have properly been acknowledged, and the European Union is going to provide additional financial allocations for Armenia, in accordance to the "more for more" principle.

During the meeting the interlocutors stressed that the sides have a common goal to finalize talks over the Association Agreement, including the negotiations over the creation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area ahead of the Vilnius summit in November 2013.

Edward Nalbandian and Gunar Wiegand attached importance to the considerable progress achieved in the mobility of citizens between Armenia and the European Union, particularly the visa facilitation agreement signed in December 2012 in Brussels. The sides expressed hope that soon it would be ratified and will enter into force.

The drafting of the Association Agreement agenda, which is going to replace the Action Plan of the European Neighborhood Policy was touched upon.

On the same day the twelfth plenary session of the negotiations between Armenia and European Union over the Association Agreement started which was opened by Minister Nalbandian’s speech.

It was followed by a working sitting co-chaired by Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan.