"I disagree with the statement by Piotr Switalski, the Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, saying that there are difficulties in the talks for the new legal document between Armenia and the European Union," Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said in the Parliament on May 26.
In his words, three rounds of talks have been held already and they were efficient. This is not only his opinion, the minister said, but also the assessment by Federica Mogherini, the European Union's foreign policy chief. "If Switalski believes that it is a method of pressure, he is mistaken," Nalbandian said.
As for Armenia's refusal to sign the Association Agreement and joining the Eurasian Economic Union, the Armenian minister said it was not a hasty decision, as many claim. "We were ready to sign the part of the AA we had agreed upon, but we had never concealed that we wanted to join the Eurasian Economic Union. However, we had difficulties, as we have no common borders. As soon as the EEU issued a resolution saying the absence of common borders is not an obstacle to membership, we adopted a decision to align with the Eurasian integration project," Nalbandian said.
Head of EU delegation to Armenia Piotr Switalski told journalists on Wednesday that the negotiations around the new legal framework document between Armenia and EU are dynamically progressing. He said there are heavy-going provisions but both European and Armenian sides will find ways to overcome these difficulties, as both Yerevan abd Brussels are interested in it.