YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 18, NOYAN TAPAN. During the December 18 meeting of Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan and the delegation led by Director of the European Commission's Directorate General for Trade Eva Synowiec, the sides discussed issues related to Armenia's cooperation with the EU within the framework of the free trade regime, the process of the work on signing a free trade agreement, as well as issues of extending the cooperation by the Eastern Partnership concept to be implemented under the European Neighborhood Policy. According to the press service of the government, both sides attached special importance to signing a EU-Armenia free trade agreement (FTA). E. Synowiec said that thanks to Eastern Partnership, a long and extensive cooperation with Armenia and the other countries involved in the Partnership is envisaged. In her words, the aim of their fact-finding mission is to become acquainted with the current situation in Armenia and map out a preparatory process for negotiaions of a FTA. T. Sargsyan expressed a hope that this process will be successfully completed, which may give impetus to reforms in Armenia. At the request of the quests, he presented the RA government's anti-crisis strategy, priorities and programs (by sectors) which are based on identification and use of Armenia' relative advantages in these sectors. He stated that the Armenian government is prepared to cooperate closely with the European Commission.

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