President Serzh Sargsyan received today the President of the European Council (EC), Donald Tusk, who has arrived in Armenia on a regional visit.

After bilateral negotiations, there took place a joint press conference of the RA president and the EC president during which Serzh Sargsyan and Donald Tusk delivered a press statement and responded to questions from the journalists.

During the negotiations, the interlocutors touched upon RA-EU relations and their current cooperation, as well as the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. 
The parties also reflected upon regional issues. The Armenian president welcomed the agreement on the Iranian nuclear program.

Stating that some progress has been made as a result of tough negotiations on the Greek crisis, President Serzh Sargsyan expressed the hope that the issue will be addressed quickly, taking into account the interests of the parties. Serzh Sargsyan stressed that Armenia favors both stability in the EU, a key partner of our country, and the normal development of Armenia’s centuries-old friend, Greece.

At the meeting, Donald Tusk noted that he is glad Armenia has initiated a process of constitutional amendments based on law, and asked the RA president to present the goal of the amendments and his assessment of the process.

During the press conference, the RA president and the EC president summed up the other topics discussed at the negotiations.

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Statement by President Serzh Sargsyan on the Results of Negotiations with the President of the European Council Donald Tusk 

I once again welcome Mr. Tusk, President of the European Council, and express my satisfaction with the talks we had today. Such meetings provide a good opportunity to discuss the development prospects of Armenia-EU relations and exchange views and ideas on many issues of mutual concern.

We are keen on broadening relations with the European Union, one of our key partners, during Mr. Tusk’s tenure, which, I am sure will contribute to the long-lasting constructive dialogue existing between us.

We stated that Armenia-European Union relations keep on developing dynamically. This bears testimony to the fact that there are a mutual political will and commitment, and, most importantly, a set of shared values that underlie our development path. I am confident that we will continue to intensify our relations and work towards further deepening of democratic processes and reforms in Armenia.

This is illustrated both by our active collaboration with European countries at a bilateral level, and by the ongoing work with different EU institutions.

Touching upon the results of the fourth Eastern Partnership Summit held from 21 to 22 May this year, we expressed satisfaction with the fact that in Riga, we managed to confirm our commitment to promoting mutually beneficial cooperation between the EU and partner countries based on a differentiated approach.

I am hopeful that in the near future we will start negotiations on a new RA-EU legal document the successful end of which will open a new chapter in our bilateral relations.

We also stressed that the summit participants reaffirmed the EU’s full support for the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs’ mediatory efforts aimed at a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and for the statements made by the heads of those states since 2009, which once again shows that the efforts to transfer the issue to other platforms have no prospects.

Despite Azerbaijan’s attempts to distort the essence of the conflict, the Nagorno-Karabakh people’s right to decide their own future through expression of free will has long been beyond dispute, moreover, it is anchored in statements of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. In the context of that idea, we are ready to move forward along a path of reasonable compromises.

Of course, we also touched upon different events being under international spotlight during these days and expressed the belief that the successful course of those events will play a positive role in promoting security, stability and cooperation both at international and regional levels. The normal development and full involvement of the Islamic Republic of Iran in international processes coincide with our country’s primary interests. Certainly, we want our centuries-old friend Greece to rapidly address the most complex issue facing the country.

Concluding my speech, I would like to note that the visit of Mr. Tusk, President of the European Council, is the striking illustration of our common understanding and mutual interest to deepen ties and broaden contacts between Armenia and the European Union.

Thank you. Now I am pleased to give the floor to President Tusk.