If you are unable to go to Europe, then bring Europe to your home - Piotr Świtalski (video)
In November, Armenia and the European Union will sign in Brussels the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement. The sides initialled the text of the new agreement in March 2017. The document will be translated into more than 20 languages. Garegin Melkonyan, First Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Investments, says the document will serve as a solid legal basis for the development of EU-Armenia relations. “Armenia and the EU are on the right path,” says Head of the EU delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Piotr Świtalski. Though in 2013, Armenia refused to initial the Association Agreement with the EU and preferred to join the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the European Union does not refuse to support Armenia. “We hope to finalize the agreement in Brussels in November. The European Union wants to work with the state and civil society to support reforms in Armenia. You can hardly attract investments from Europe as long as the courts are not independent and corruption has not received an adequate response,” he said. Many in Armenia believe that this time Armenia will not withdraw from the agreement and will deepen cooperation with the EU. Membership to the EAEU has not even solved the issue of the country’s security, as it was promised by a number of officials. “The April War destroyed all statements that we did not have an alternative, we were solving the problem of security. But we had an alternative and we did not solve the problem of security,” says Armenian lawmaker Edmon Marukyan. Armenians look at their neighbors - Georgians with envy. They can already travel visa-free to the Schengen zone. The provision of such a privilege to Armenia is still on the agenda of the European Union, says Piotr Świtalski. But there are certain issues that delay the process. “We expect that the law on domestic violence prevention and control will finally be adopted. It was to be done still in 2016. If you are not able to go to Europe, then bring Europe to your home,” he said. The participants of the discussion organized by the Analytical Center on Globalization and Regional Cooperation (ACGRC) agreed that being a member of the EAEU, Armenia can and must develop by a European model.
