January 16, 2025 - 17:22 AMT
Deputy PM: EU talks new agenda near completion

Armenia's Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan announced that negotiations on the new EU-Armenia agenda are nearly finalized.

There are plans to meet with civil society representatives soon to present these outcomes., he said during a conference titled "Advancing Armenia-EU Strategic Partnership Based on Visegrad Four Experience," organized by the Armenian Institute of International and Security Affairs.

According to Aravot, Hovhannisyan highlighted that connections with the new EU leadership have already been established, .

"Recently, a phone conversation took place between the President of the European Council and Prime Minister Pashinyan," he said, adding that Armenia is awaiting the visit of EU High Representative Kaya Kallas.

"We highly value cooperation with the Visegrad Four, especially within the EU framework, and aim to further strengthen ties with these four countries," Hovhannisyan noted.

He stated that Armenia's relations with the Visegrad Four members are evolving dynamically.

"The momentum with these countries is evident. Poland remains one of our key EU partners. We also have strong cooperation with the Czech Republic. Slovakia recently opened its embassy, and we have plans to intensify bilateral ties. Additionally, this year, it was decided to open an Armenian embassy in Hungary and a Hungarian embassy in Armenia," he added.

The Deputy Minister also mentioned that substantive negotiations on visa liberalization began in December and are expected to intensify in the coming months. Minister-level visits are planned in this context.

Earlier, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a phone call with European Council President António Costa, congratulating him on his election, wishing him success, and expressing satisfaction with the current state of Armenia-EU cooperation. In response to Costa's inquiries, Pashinyan provided updates on the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process and reiterated the government's commitment to the peace agenda.