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New forms of cooperation and political association should be looked for after Vilnius Summit, Lithuanian Deputy FM states

Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of EU anticipates Armenian presence on the Vilnius Summit of Eastern Partnership on the highest level in November.

 

 

Andrius Krivas, Lithuanian Deputy Foreign Minister, said this during his meeting with Armenian journalists in Vilnius. 
“Armenian attendance in the Vilnius Summit and active participation in all Eastern Partnership’s activities are very important for Lithuanian Presidency and all EU member-states. We hope to see Armenian attendance on the summit on the top-level and hope that Armenian voice would be heard during the debates. We also anticipate Armenian participation in the process of summit’s Declaration drafting and adoption”, - Andrius Krivas said. 
Speaking on the Association Agreement with the EU, the Lithuanian Deputy FM stressed that Armenia used to be one of the leaders of this process and they were very happy about successful completion of the negotiations this summer. 
“I would be not sincere if I said that it did not make any difference to us then in early September Armenian leadership announced that Armenia was going to join to Customs Union. Of course, it is free and sovereign choice of any interested partner and EU respects sovereign choices of our partners. But the results of efforts that both Armenia and EU put into developing the Association Agreement and DCFTA are currently shelved because some important provisions in AA and DCFTA are incompatible with obligations that will be adopted by Armenia as a member of Customs Union. Therefore currently the issue of initialing of Association Agreement with Armenia is off the table”, - Andrius Krivas noted. 
At the same time he stressed that the EU leadership noted very serious interest, expressed by the Armenian leadership and diplomatic representatives in continuing the dialogue and close cooperation with EU in order to look for new forms of cooperation, integration and political association. Andrius Krivas assured that “we are open for the searching of such forms and ways, but it will be a task for the next phase after the Vilnius summit”.

- See more at: http://www.mediamax.am/en/news/foreignpolicy/8104/#sthash.tiMGbZZA.dpuf