Category: 2018

BRUSSELS—Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with Presidents of the European Union’s European Council and European Commission at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium to discuss EU-Armenia relations and the new government’s mission.

During his meeting with European Council President Donald Tusk, the new Armenian government’s goal is to strengthen democracy, ensure rule of law and support an independent judiciary. Armenia welcomes the EU’s support and is ready for close cooperation to achieve these goals.

Tusk spoke about expanding the Armenia-EU partnership and welcomed the recent national unity in Armenia.

“I have always been the friend of Armenia. What happened in Armenia was unique, I would say, was very European. Your example was very promising and you can expect the EU’s support on the path of implementing the reforms,” Tusk said.

During the meeting, the officials also exchanged views on different issues aimed at developing the Armenia-EU ties. Regarding the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Pashinyan said Armenia is committed to the negotiation process being carried out under the auspices of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs and stated that any attempt to solve the conflict through military means will be an encroachment against the regional security, democracy and human rights.

“Like any democratic country, Armenia strives for peace and does everything for ensuring regional security and stability,” Pashinyan said.

Pashinyan also discussed the perspectives of Armenia-EU relations in the context of the democratic changes in Armenia with President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker.

Juncker said the EU is inspired by the peaceful and democratic nature of changes in Armenia and expressed willingness to continue to support the country’s reforms.

Pashinyan was grateful for the EU’s previous support and assured Juncker that, moving forward, both institutional and financial support and consulting will be used in a more responsible manner.

“The ongoing fight against corruption is one of the main priorities of our government,” Pashinyan said.

BRUSSELS—Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday questioned Azerbaijan’s commitment to the Karabakh peace process, telling world leaders gathered at NATO’s working group on Afghanistan that Baku’s actions undermine the conflict resolution process.

Pashinyan referenced NATO’s final declaration, which, in generic form, urged sides to constructively seek peaceful resolutions to regional conflicts.

“We continue to support the right of all our partners to make independent and sovereign choices on foreign and security policy, free from external pressure and coercion. We remain committed in our support for the territorial integrity, independence, and sovereignty of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and the Republic of Moldova. In this context, we continue to support efforts towards a peaceful settlement of the conflicts in the South Caucasus, as well as in the Republic of Moldova, based upon these principles and the norms of international law, the UN Charter, and the Helsinki Final Act. We urge all parties to engage constructively and with reinforced political will in peaceful conflict resolution, within the established negotiation frameworks,” said the NATO declaration.

Touching on the fact that NATO has constantly and comprehensively stated that it plays no role in the Karabakh conflict resolution process, Pashinyan sought to assert Armenia’s position on the matter.

“Armenia, like any other democratic country, reaffirms its commitment to the exclusively peaceful resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict within format mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship. Any attempt to settle this conflict through military means should be viewed as an attack on democracy, human rights and peace,” said Pashinyan reiterating statements he made a day before when meeting with French President Emanuel Macron and EU leaders.

“The recent ceasefire violation and provocation initiated by Azerbaijan on the border with Armenia and the line of contact with Artsakh seriously question Baku’s commitment to the peace process,” added Pashinyan.

“We reaffirm the importance of the implementation of the previous agreements, in particular, those reached during the meetings in Vienna, St. Petersburg and Geneva, which aim at creating favorable conditions for peace and making confidence-building measures,” explained Pashinyan.

Armenia’s prime minister also reiterated Yerevan’s commitment to continue its participation in the NATO mission in Afghanistan, citing his new government’s commitment to international peace and respect for human rights.

“Armenia will continue supporting the inclusive peace process led and participated by Afghanistan. I want to once again state that we will continue supporting the international efforts aimed at establishing comprehensive peace, prosperity and stability in friendly Afghanistan,” said Pashinyan who said that Armenia will devote 130 troops, as in the past, to the effort.

During his visit to Brussels, Pashinyan had the opportunity to meet with various leaders of NATO member-states and Europe. On Wednesday, he attended the NATO dinner and met with President Donald Trump and first lady, Melania (explore above photo gallery)

YEREVAN—French Ambassador to Armenia Jonathan Lacôte reiterated France’s commitment to not supplying weapons or ammunition to Azerbaijan which can be used to wage war against Artsakh. Lacôte’s statement was in response to Azerbaijani media outlets falsely reporting that France has lifted the arms embargo against Azerbaijan.

“When we found out about the fake rumors in the Azerbaijani press alleging that France has lifted the arms embargo on Azerbaijan, we immediately disseminated a denial,” Lacôte said. “This once again gave us a chance to confirm our stance. France respects its commitments stemming from international provisions to not supply weapons or ammunition which could be used to start war, in this case in Artsakh.”

Lacôte said that the French government supports the Armenian government’s exclusively peaceful stance toward resolving the conflict. He noted that the July 11 meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers in Brussels was a positive step in the negotiations process. France agrees with Armenia that the conflict cannot be solved through force.

Commenting on the Velvet Revolution, Lacôte said the French were in complete support of the new Armenian government.

“What happened in Armenia was perceived very positively in France,” Lacôte said. “The news media touched upon the political events with great sympathy. It is very important that the changes were taking place in an extremely peaceful atmosphere. I, too, have conveyed to my government that, during that time, no French citizens were in danger — French observers have recorded the same. It was the people who went out to the streets in Gyumri, Yerevan, Vanadzor and other cities. They were neither party nor political forces. Everything proceeded in accordance to the letter and spirit of the Constitution.”

According to Lacôte, the changes convey new dynamics to bilateral ties with France. He found the new government’s commitment to combating corruption and monopolies to be a very important message for Armenia’s partners, especially business partners.

“The creation of equal market conditions in Armenia is a very good signal for all business operators. In addition, a state of rule of law is being established, which reaffirms the ties between our two states,” he said.

Commenting on the upcoming La Francophonie summit in Yerevan, Lacôte said he expects positive reactions from attendees.

“During the La Francophonie summit in Armenia in the autumn, this country will surprise the participants of the Francophonie states with the achievements recorded in the IT field,” he said. “The Armenian leadership has also proposed to hold an economic forum on the sidelines of the summit. The French authorities welcome this proposal. I think this economic forum will contribute to creating a whole network of investors and businessmen which will adopt the priorities of the IT field.”

According to the ambassador, the economic forum will also be a unique opportunity for Armenian businessmen, as they will be able to closely communicate and become acquainted with the Francophonie states and the opportunities that exist there.

Lacôte informed that a TUMO Center is expected to open in Paris in September. After the summit, Lacôte expects that all Francophonie states will desire having TUMO centers in their own countries.

Time Magazine on Thursday listed Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan as one of its four “Crusaders Who Are Keeping the Dream of Democracy Alive.”

“Around the world today, one in three people lives under an authoritarian regime, while many others are experiencing a decline in their democratic freedoms. But the slide towards autocracy has pushed millions to stand up and demand a say in how their lives are governed,” said Time in its introduction.

The magazine spoke to Pashinyan, as well as Togo opposition leader, blogger Farida Nabourema; Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ouided Bouchamaoui; and leader of Nicaragua’s protest movement, Enrieth Martínez, who round out the list.

Read the Time profile of the “4 Crusaders Who Are Keeping the Dream of Democracy Alive.”