YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s foreign ministry didn’t receive negative signals from the EU member states regarding the ratification process of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA), Deputy foreign minister Armen Papikyan said at a press briefing in the Parliament, in response to the question whether the Armenian side thinks that the ratification process is being delayed and are there countries that can hinder that process, Armenpress reports.

“We do not have such messages, we are full of hope that all member states will ratify the agreement as soon as possible”, the official said, reminding that as of now three EU member states  - Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, have ratified the agreement.

The deputy FM assured that this issue is one of the political priorities of the foreign ministry and it becomes one of the agenda issues during every meeting. “The agreement has already entered in temporary implementation, we should maximally try to implement the provisions that entered into force in Armenia”, the official said.

The deputy FM said the changes that took place in the country can be a positive signal for the European partners and contribute to the acceleration of the ratification process.

Naira Zohrabyan, head of the Tsarukyan faction, chairwoman of the parliamentary standing committee on the European Integration Affairs, said it would be preferable for Armenia if the agreement is completely ratified by EU member states until 2019 as next year parliamentary elections will be held in the European Parliament which can cause danger of some issues.

Armenia and the European Union signed the CEPA in Brussels on November 24, 2017. In order for the agreement to come into force, it should be ratified by 28 EU member states. The Armenian Parliament has already ratified the agreement.

English –translator/editor: Aneta Harutyunyan