Ladies and Gentlemen, Distinguished participants of the Conference, I should mention with satisfaction that this Conference which has already become traditional, occupied its own place among the discussions over the European integration topics. Since the first days of its 20 years of independence of Armenia the European direction has been one of the priorities of our country’s foreign policy. Our relations with the EU institutions and EU member-states are continually developing. The cooperation of Armenia with the EU is important not only in the context of our undertaken commitments with the EU, but first of all in the context of deepening of the qualitative reforms in our country for the implementation of the reforms in the spheres of economy, good governance, democracy and human rights, rule of law, as well as all the other spheres of public life. In the context of promoting of the reforms initiated by the President of the Republic, the Armenian authorities are determined to carry out large-scale reforms in the country, which proceeds from the interests of our people and country. First of all, this process is aimed at the development of the institutional capacities of the country. At the same time, we consider it as an integral part of the agenda of our cooperation with the EU and a prerequisite for the policy of European rapprochement, as well. In the context of the development of our relations with the European Union and advancing the implementation of the reforms in Armenia, I would like to refer to the following words of the President of the Republic, “The European standards should become a standard for us. Today there is no question of full membership to the European Union on the agenda of Armenia’s foreign policy, but I am repeating that the European rules of the game and the European standards should be adapted and invested in our country maximally, as they are high and tested-by-time standards. We need those standards in the context of maintaining a significant progress, changing of the style of our citizens’ life and strengthening of our society’s organizational capacity.” More than two years after the launching of the Eastern Partnership, we have achieved a considerable progress in both spheres of the cooperation - bilateral and multilateral. The second summit in the frames of the Eastern Partnership held on 29 -30 of September in Warsaw was an important point. The Armenian delegation led by the RA President Serzh Sargsyan attended the summit, as well. The Declaration adopted during the summit provides a new impetus to bilateral cooperation through political association, gradual economic integration, and strengthening of expanded sectoral contacts and multilateral cooperation. For the promotion of the reforms, since 2009 the EU Advisory Group has functioned in Armenia, which provides assistance to the RA governmental bodies in implementing the reforms in line with the EU standards in legislative, executive and judicial systems. We have welcomed and greatly stress the importance of the “more support for more reforms” principle elaborated as a result of revising of the European Neighborhood Policy. Currently we are collaborating with the European Commission to harmonize our government’s efforts with the purposeful and targeted support of our EU partners. Since July of 2010, we have achieved considerable progress in the negotiations over Armenia-EU Association Agreement. On 26 October of this year we held the 7th plenary session of the negotiations in Yerevan, during which we discussed the goals and common principles, political dialogue and foreign and security policy. At this moment, in the sectoral cooperation areas 19 Chapters of future Agreement were negotiated and temporarily closed. An important part of the Association Agreement would be the provisions on the creation of Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Zone. The necessary measures being undertaken by the RA’s Government towards this direction inspire confidence for launching of the negotiations over the creation of Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Zone. The effective implementation of the provisions related to the Free Trade Zone would allow making a more competitive Armenian economy through the improvement of both legislative framework and the appropriate institutions which play a role in the sphere of economy. The activities aimed at the visa facilitation regime with the EU have an important role in the agenda of our cooperation. Fostering people-to-people contacts with the EU member-states would create good preconditions for the establishment of deepened partnership relations in various spheres - business, contacts between the students and youth, culture and science. The main beneficiaries of this process would be our societies and citizens. On 27 October, the Joint Declaration on a Mobility Partnership between Armenia and the EU was signed in Luxemburg which is aimed at providing of migration flows management, regulation of legal entrance and activities of Armenia's citizens in the EU territory, promotion of student and professional exchanges. The beginning of this process would indirectly contribute to the finalization of the process of visa regime facilitation, as well. One of the important rings of political dialogue in the development of the relations between Armenia and the EU is the Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. A few days ago (November 2-3) the 12th session of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee took place in Yerevan. Distingushed participants, The desire to have a state system based on the European values-freedom, democracy and rule of law has always been constant in our society. The NGOs have huge role in making the European system of values the ownership of the citizens and in the rapprochement process between the countries of our region and the European Union. The dimensions functioning in the frames of the Eastern Partnership are called upon to contribute to the elimination of dividing lines, raising of mutual awareness, and building of peaceful and prosperous future through the spread of European common values. I would like to underline that Armenia’s authorities attach an importance to the engagement of civil society in the context of both the cooperation with the European Union and the implementation of the reforms being held in various spheres in the country. Truly, it is welcomed the engagement of NGOs in the processes of the European integration. Recently, an international conference entitled "Fostering Civil Society’s role for further European integration in the Eastern Partnership countries" was held in Yerevan, as well, which is another proof of spreading the European ideas in our country and common basic values and close cooperation existing between Armenia and the EU. I am sure that this conference is a good opportunity to assess the cooperation process and evaluation of perpectives between Armenia and the EU from various angles, for freshly interesting, constructive ideas and exchanges of opinions. I wish the conference a fruitful work. Thank you.

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