Republican Party of Armenia

 Vice Chairman of the Republican Party of Armenia, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan participated in the Summit of the European People’s Party in the capital of the Kingdom of Belgium Brussels. The Summit brings together the political leaders of EPP member parties, country Presidents, Prime Ministers and Ministers.

Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan delivered a speech, touching on the challenges related to Europe and the region. Speaking about the events taking place in Ukraine, Tigran Sargsyan said: “The Ukrainian crisis is the center of global attention. It is a serious concern to our continent and a challenge to peace and stability in our region. Situated in a complex geopolitical environment and facing serious security challenges, Armenia has always supported the peaceful resolution of disputes and crises. And we are confident that the Ukrainian crisis has to be resolved primarily on the basis of said principle. It should be settled through dialog and negotiation on the basis of international law.”

Attaching great importance to peace and stability, the Prime Minister said that during the last century, the peoples in Europe, including the Armenian people, paid a high price for peace and stability on the continent. Strong with a spirit of cooperation and partnership, Modern Europe is one of the greatest achievements of mankind. There is just no place for opposing approaches in today’s Europe.

Tigran Sargsyan expressed confidence that taken from arsenals of the past, these approaches are not acceptable to the political forces of the EPP family. In today’s interconnected world, the desire to create dividing lines can no longer be considered as an acceptable option.

Answering the question voiced by the EPP Vice Chairman, the Armenian Prime Minister stated, “We have a very sensitive foreign policy issue. It is first of all the question of Nagorno-Karabakh. We remain committed to those conflict resolution principles declared by the OSCE Minsk Group: non-use of force, territorial integrity and the right of peoples to self-determination. We are convinced that the Ukrainian crisis should be resolved peacefully through dialog and negotiations, in line with the principles of international law. This is our official position.”

Tigran Sargsyan expressed confidence that the expanding and deepening of ties with one partner should not be done at the expense of relations with another partner. Armenia will continue with its policy of harmonized interests. “We want to be a bridge between our partners, rather than a clash of interests. By deciding to join the Customs Union, we were guided by this very principle. At the same time, we have repeatedly stated that the relationship with the EU will continue to be an important priority of Armenia’ foreign policy,” Tigran Sargsyan noted.

Referring to EU-Armenia relations, the Prime Minister said, “Reform is the most widely used term in Armenia-EU relations. We highly appreciate the assistance that Armenia has received over the years from the EU. Thanks to this support we have recorded notable progress in building modern institutions. We want to continue building on our relationship with the European Union. They are vital in terms of ensuring our country’s progress, improving political and public administration institutions, creating favorable conditions for economic development and maintaining balance and stability in the region. At this point, we attach great importance to the development of a new framework of cooperation with the EU. As a first step, the proposal on signing the political part of the Association Agreement, without the deep and comprehensive free trade arrangement, seems to be the best option for Armenia. On the one hand, the aforementioned framework should reflect the depth and nature of EU-Armenia relations and, on the other hand, it should be compatible with the interests of Armenia’s other international partners. The Republican Party of Armenia looks at it as the best way to harmonize interests in our region,” Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said.