On November 22, 2024, EU Ambassador to Armenia Vassilis Maragos and RA Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan co-hosted a high-level event in Yerevan marking the 7th anniversary of the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The event was attended by RA ministers, deputy ministers, and other high-ranking government officials, representatives of the EU Delegation and diplomatic missions of EU member states, as well as representatives of the CEPA Civil Society Platform.
The event provided an opportunity to review progress on ongoing reforms and reaffirm joint continued commitment to CEPA implementation. Ambassador Maragos emphasized that CEPA serves as the cornerstone of EU-Armenia relations and drives reforms and modernization in the country, aligned with Armenia’s long-term strategic vision. Deputy Prime Minister Grigoryan highlighted CEPA’s significance, emphasizing its role in strengthening Armenia’s partnership with the European Union and the development of its people.
During the meeting, heads and representatives of various state bodies presented their work on CEPA implementation in their respective sectors.
Syuzanna Soghomonyan, a CEPA Civil Society Platform member and representative of the Armenian Lawyers’ Association, also addressed the event. She reaffirmed the platform members’ position that the Republic of Armenia’s development path leads to the European Union. The speech addressed visa liberalization and the dignified visa procedures for Armenian citizens from EU member states. She also emphasized the role of the EU peacekeeping mission on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. Syuzanna Soghomonyan reaffirmed the platform’s commitment to support the Armenian government in implementing internal reforms arising from the agreement, emphasizing the institutional nature and regularity of government-platform format consultations and meetings.
Syuzanna Soghomonyan’s complete speech is presented below.
“Honorable Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia, Your Excellency Ambassadors, dear colleagues,
I congratulate you on the seventh anniversary of signing the CEPA.
I am Syuzanna Soghomonyan, representing the EU-Armenia CEPA Platform, where I was nominated by the Armenian Lawyers’ Association.
First of all, I would like to emphasize the important fact that the organizations gathered in our platform – civil society structures – adhere to the EU’s fundamental values: rule of law, democracy, human rights, and are convinced that the Republic of Armenia’s development path leads to the European Union.
Today, Armenia is at a crucial stage in this regard. Our platform emphasizes the importance of deepening relations with the EU, including the issue of visa liberalization. Until then, our citizens should have the right to obtain visas from EU member states through dignified procedures.
We particularly emphasize the role of the EU peacekeeping mission on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, which is essential for ensuring regional stability and security.
We are committed to supporting the government in implementing internal reforms, both through expertise and monitoring. By November 2024, the CEPA Civil Society Platform has already provided fifteen advisory expert opinions to the government on the progress of CEPA implementation in judicial, anti-corruption, and several other areas, for which broad discussions with stakeholders have also been organized. For this, it is necessary that the government respond constructively to the issues raised by the platform.
It is also important that government-platform format consultations and meetings acquire an institutional nature and regularity.
For this, it is also necessary that the EU and EU member states’ embassies operating in Armenia provide a diversified and proportionate approach to cooperation and support for civil society organizations and their coalitions to effectively fulfill the commitments undertaken by CEPA and the platform.”
Photos: European Union page
