On April 9, the joint sitting of the Standing Committees on Foreign Relations and European Integration of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia was held, during which the draft law of the Republic of Armenia “On ratification of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement between the Republic of Armenia, of the one part and the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the other part’’ was discussed. Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Garen Nazarian was the general rapporteur for the issue, while Chairs of the above-mentioned committees Armen Ashotyan and Naira Zohrabyan were co-rapporteurs. Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia Piotr Świtalski also attended the sitting.

Welcoming the participants of the sitting, Garen Nazarian presented the background of the new Armenia-EU agreement, starting from the launch of the negotiations until the signing of the agreement, noting that the new framework document will greatly contribute to the deepening and expansion of dialogue between Armenia and the EU in different spheres of cooperation.

Touching upon the issue of required ratification of the agreement, the Deputy Minister noted that after Armenia completes the ratification process and notifies the EU about it, it would be possible to put into effect the provisional implementation clause of the agreement, which will allow to start the implementation of the majority of the CEPA provisions until the completion by the EU member states of the domestic procedures required for the entry into force of the agreement. At the same time, the Deputy Minister emphasized that the EU member states have repeatedly stated their willingness and the political will to ratify the agreement, whereas Estonia became the first EU member state to have completed the national procedures necessary for the CEPA to enter into force.

Deputy Minister Nazarian added that Armenia’s diplomatic missions in the EU member states are continuously working with the host authorities to speed up the process of ratification of the agreement. However, each country has different domestic procedures required for the agreement to enter into force.

Garen Nazarian also answered numerous questions of members of the Committees about the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement. Touching upon the provision of the agreement on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, Garen Nazarian noted, that it clearly stipulates the necessity to reach the settlement as soon as possible within the framework of negotiations conducted within the format of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairmanship. It is also highlighted in the agreement the necessity to resolve the conflict based on the goals and principles set out in the UN Charter and the OSCE Helsinki Final Act, in particular, non-use of force or threat of force, territorial integrity of states and equal rights and self-determination of peoples, noting also the declared commitment of the European Union to support the settlement process.

At the end of the sitting the draft law on ratification of the agreement, with the positive conclusion of the Committees, was included in the draft agenda of the third session of the National Assembly of the sixth convocation of the Republic of Armenia.