“Eastern Partnership: The Next Stage in European Integration?” international conference was held in Yerevan, Armenia on October 29 to 30, 2009. It was organized by the International Center of Human Development (ICHD), one of the leading think tanks in Armenia with the support of the EC Delegation, The Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. The conference brought together representatives of various interested organizations from Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine, Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania as well as major European institutions such as the EU, NATO, OSCE, CoE. It focused on cooperation and integration issues, which are viewed as the best way to promote European values, European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), IPAP, and commitments undertaken by Armenia upon becoming a member of the Council of Europe. The conference was attended by more than 25 foreign and 130 local participants, representing government agencies and nongovernmental organizations, as well as a number of foreign missions in Armenia and leading international institutions. This publication includes the speeches made and papers presented at the conference. EASTERN PARTNERSHIP: The Next Stage in European Integration? A Collection of Conference Speeches EASTERN PARTNERSHIP: The Next Stage in European Integration? International Conference October 29-30, 2009 Yerevan, Armenia A Collection of Conference Speeches International Center for Human Development Contents PREFACE ..................................................................................................................... 5 H.E. MR. EDWARD NALBANDIAN ..................................................................................... 7 MRS. KARINE KAZINIAN .................................................................................................11 MR. EVALDAS IGNATAVICIUS ........................................................................................... 14 MR. DMYTRO SHULGA .................................................................................................. 19 H.E. MR. PETER SEmnEBY ......................................................................................... 23 MR. VANO ChkhIKVADZE .............................................................................................. 26 MR. ERIK GYULAZYAN .................................................................................................. 33 H.E. MR. SERGEY KAPINOS ......................................................................................... 36 MR. STEFAN RALCHEV ................................................................................................. 39 MAJOR LEVON AYVAZYAN .............................................................................................. 43 MR. PAUL IVAN ........................................................................................................... 48 MR. GEORGI KAMOV.................................................................................................... 52 PROFESSOR BERNARD COULIE ....................................................................................... 54 MR. EMIL SANAMYAN ................................................................................................... 62 PREFACE What happens in the countries in the Eastern Europe and in the Southern Caucasus affects the European Union. Successive EU enlargements have brought these coun- tries closer to the EU and their security, stability and prosperity increasingly impact on the EU’s. The potential these countries offer for diversifying the EU’s energy sup- plies is one example. All these countries, to varying degrees, are carrying out politi- cal, social and economic reforms, and have stated their wish to come closer to the EU. The conflict in Georgia in August 2008 confirmed how vulnerable they can be, and how the EU’s security begins outside its borders. An important step on the road of the European integration of the EU neighbors be- came the establishment of the Eastern Partnership initiative by the European Union (EU) presented by the foreign minister of Poland with assistance from Sweden on 26 May 2008. It was meant to complement the Northern Dimension and the Union for the Mediterranean by providing an institutionalised forum for discussing visa agree- ments, free trade deals and strategic partnership agreements with the EU’s eastern neighbours, while avoiding the controversial topic of accession to the European Un- ion. Its geographical scope covered Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Belarus and Ukraine. The Eastern Partnership implies new association agreements including deep and comprehensive free trade agreements with those countries willing and able to enter into a deeper engagement, gradual integration in the EU economy and al- low for easier travel to the EU through gradual visa liberalisation, accompanied by measures to tackle illegal immigration. The Partnership also promotes democracy and good governance; strengthens energy security; promotes sector reform and en- vironment protection; encourages people to people contacts; supports economic and social development; offers additional funding for projects to reduce socio-economic imbalances and increases stability. ICHD’s 2009 European Integration International conference focused on the role that the Eastern Partnership could play on the relations between the European Union and Armenia and Armenia’s European integration track at large. Supported by the EC Delegation Office in Yerevan, Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation (BST), a Project of the German Marshall Fund of the U.S, and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), ICHD brought together 150 representatives of governments, civil societies and development partners throughout the Eastern Partnership region and the European Community at the international conference “Eastern Partnership: the Next Stage in European Integration?” in Yerevan, on 29-30 October, 2009. The six sessions of the two-day conference moderated by the high ranking Armenian and Foreign officials, focused on policy issues and the role of Eastern Partnership in enhancing cooperation between the European Union and Armenia. ICHD consoli- dated and published the proceedings of the conference. 6 H.E. MR. EDWARD NALBANDIAN Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Dear guests, ladies and gentlemen: I would like to welcome all the organizers and participants of this conference devoted to the relations between Armenia and Europe - a continent the name of which today is perceived as the synonym of solidarity, tolerance, protection of human rights and human values, and which is often referred to as the “old continent”. The continent is old and so are the ties between Armenia, the Armenian nation and Europe. They go back to the old times when our history and geography were in per- fect harmony and when the sons of our nation contributed to the formation of the values, which are now called European values. In this respect Armenia’s policy of getting closer to Europe is happening to some ex- tent in a more natural way, as in terms of its worldview, language, religion and culture this process does not mean going back. In terms of our fundamental value system we have remained in the same place, true to the origins, which belong also to Europe. Though today Europe is really perceived as a synonym of peace and tolerance, we also know the painful price that the European nations have paid for it. There is al- most no other place in the world where the wars and conflicts have been as cruel as they were here. That might explain why the European nations aspire to the vision of peace. As does Armenia, and the Armenian nation, which, unfortunately, knows too well the real value of peace. After such cruel wars and two grave World Wars, finding strength for rebirth and creating a peaceful and joint destiny for the nations, Europe has become the symbol and guideline of peace, stability, harmony and unity for the whole mankind. 7 Today Armenia has the same vision. After conflicts and hostility among neighboring countries that lasted for centuries, European nations decided to unite their dream, will and determination for creating a peaceful, safe, free and well-off future built on common values. Today Armenian has the same vision. Today tribute is paid to European statesmen, their wisdom and courage, their political will and determination, which enabled the European nations to regain confidence for future and returned the hope of secure future to their people. Today Armenia has the same vision. And having that vision Armenia believes that global values will be finally ensured in our region, pulling the nations closer to each other, as well as to Europe. Ladies and Gentlemen: Since Armenia’s independence, the European direction has been one of the priorities of the RA foreign policy. Consistently increasing its involvement in different European organizations, Armenia has always paid special attention to its relations both with Eu- ropean member states, using a bilateral format, and with the European Union itself. The European Union is an important partner for Armenia in terms of cooperation in economy, foreign policy and implementation of domestic reforms. The EU/Armenia Action Plan of the European Neighborhood Policy having been imple- mented since 2007 is a tangible example of protean cooperation. During the last years the dynamically developing political dialog has been brought onto a new quality level by the initiative of Eastern Partnership which was launched