Nikol Pashinyan Meets with European Council President Charles Michel in Brussels

As part of his working visit to Brussels, Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan today met with President of the European Council Charles Michel.

Nikol Pashinyan and Charles Michel first held private talks, at which they reviewed progress in EU-Armenia cooperation, the programs envisaged under the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which came into force on March 1 this year. In this context, the interlocutors discussed joint action to facilitate the ongoing institutional reforms and promote democracy in our country.

Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that Armenia is keen to actively cooperate in the framework of the CEPA Roadmap in a bid to promote democratic values, protect human rights, curb corruption, strengthen the rule of law, as well as to advance the reform of public administration, including justice.

Charles Michel welcomed the reforms initiated over the past three years and the steps taken by the Armenian government to strengthen democracy. In this regard, the President of the European Council stressed the need to effectively implement the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement. He reaffirmed the European Union’s readiness to deepen and expand interaction in implementing the priorities proposed by the Armenian government.

Armenia’s Acting Prime Minister provided details on the regional developments that followed the 44-day Artsakh War, and in this context, presented the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. Nikol Pashinyan stressed the need for Azerbaijani troops to leave the sovereign territory of Armenia. Taking the opportunity, he briefed the President of the European Council on the ongoing diplomatic efforts and negotiations, as well as on his proposal to resolve the situation voiced at the RA Security Council meeting of May 27, 2021.

The Acting Prime Minister said the international community should respond adequately to Azerbaijan’s provocative actions by taking steps to ensure the repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war. He welcomed the resolution passed by the European Parliament urging Azerbaijan to release all Armenian prisoners of war immediately and without preconditions.

The President of the European Council welcomed Armenia’s commitment to finding a peaceful, political solution to the Armenian-Azerbaijani border standoff and expressed EU’s readiness to support this process.

After the private conversation, the interlocutors continued the meeting in the format of a working dinner.