Secretary of the National Security Council of Armenia, President of the Interdepartmental Commission coordinating Armenia's cooperation with European structures Arthur Baghdasaryn presented to the Ambassadors of EU member states the Armenia-European Union Action Plan comprised of 195 priorities, Public Radio of Armenia reported.
According to Arthur Baghdasaryan, the Action Plan envisages six groups of actions. The political actions include the development of Armenia-EU political dialogue, promotion of the cooperation within international organizations. It is expected to elaborate and implement a program of information strategy on European integrations. Concrete steps will be taken in the direction of simplifying the visa regimes between Armenia and EU countries. This part of the program also envisages the continuousness of the cooperation to resist the common security challenges.
The group of legal actions envisages reforms in the judicial-legal system, improvement of mechanisms of cooperation between the judicial and law-enforcement systems of Armenia and EU member states, fighting corruption.
As regards infrastructures, it is expected to establish an EU Information Center in Armenia, promote the development of the information society, elaborate and implement the national strategy of the transport security system. The actions in this section include involvement in TRACECA and other international and regional programs, deepening of cooperation, implementation of actions in the direction of ensuring energy security, development of regional energy cooperation, deepening of Armenia-EU cooperation in the fields of energy and nuclear security. Reforms in the field of agriculture are also expected.
Actions in the humanitarian sphere include deepening of cultural, educational, technical and scientific ties, implementation of reforms in the fields of education and science.
The framework of actions in the fields of environmental protection and healthcare is very broad. It envisages poverty reduction, reforms in ensuring health and secure working conditions, as well as the continuation of pension reforms.
The actions in the financial-economic field includes the deepening of Armenia-EU economic relations, perfection of the mechanisms of further improvement of investment field, reforms in the tax, customs and other spheres.
Accoridng to the Head of the European Commission delegation to Armenia Raul de Luzenberger, the program is rather ambitious. "It's extremely important to understand that our cooperation in all the above-mentioned directions has already started. The Armenian Government will work out detailed, concrete actions and a schedule of their implementation. When it is ready, we plan to meet with the Armenian Government," he said.
According to Arthur Baghdasaryanm the program received a positive assessment. The Ambassadors expressed their willingness to support the implementation of reforms. He noted that the European Union has suggested cooperation to a number of countries including Armenia in the framework of the Eastern Partnership Program. The summit of the Presidents of the countries invited to participate in the Eastern Partnership Program is expected in May. "Armenia has been repeatedly declaring that it is doing everything to deepen the political and economic cooperation with the European Union," Arthur Baghdasaryan said. According to him, the successful implementation of the Action Plan will provide an opportunity to raise the relations with the European Union to a completely new level.