Armenia pursues policy of deepening relations with the EU - Foreign Minister

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, in an interview with Finnish media, noted that Armenia is currently implementing a policy aimed at significantly deepening relations with the EU.

The Armenian Foreign Minister explained that negotiations are underway on a document called the "New Partnership Agenda," which he described as a comprehensive document covering various areas of cooperation.

"A high-level trilateral meeting was held in April with the participation of Armenia, the EU, and the US. The main goal of the meeting was to strengthen Armenia's resilience, especially economically, considering the numerous threats Armenia faces from various directions, including hybrid threats. As you know, Armenia is a democratic country. We had a democratic, non-violent revolution. We have initiated extensive democratic reforms to eradicate corruption and strengthen democratic institutions. We have already held two parliamentary elections that were recognized as fully democratic, free, and transparent," the Foreign Minister said.

"While building a democratic society, of course, we are looking for opportunities to strengthen ties with other democratic societies. It is quite natural that we extend our focus towards the European Union, which comprises many developed democratic countries," noted Mirzoyan.

Minister Mirzoyan confidently stated that the democratic changes taking place in Armenia are irreversible. "It doesn’t matter what government comes to power through democratic free elections; democratic values are the foundation of our society," he said.

Turning to the question of how compatible Armenia’s military alliance with Russia is with its European goals, and whether Armenia could be pressured to participate in Russia’s war against Ukraine, Ararat Mirzoyan replied: "Honestly, we were never offered, pressured, or expected to participate in any way in the war in Ukraine. There was no such experience."