BRUSSELS, NOVEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and the European Union have signed the Comprehensive and Expanded Partnership Agreement.

The agreement was signed in presence of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and President of the European Council Donald Tusk, by Armenian foreign minister Edward Nalbandian and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, ARMENPRESS correspondent reports from Brussels.

The signing ceremony took place in the EU capital’s great and symbolic Europe building, on the sidelines of the Eastern Partnership summit.

Under the agreement, the sides express determination to strengthen comprehensive political and economic partnership and cooperation – based on common values and close ties, including by raising Armenia’s participation in the European Union’s policy, programs and works of agencies.

The agreement seeks to boost, preserve and strengthen peace and stability in both regional and international levels, including combining efforts for eliminating sources of tension, through enhancing border security, as well as cross-border cooperation and friendly relations. Mobility and contacts between peoples of various countries will also be expanded.

The agreement stresses the significance of Armenia’s commitment for the peaceful and lasting settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and the necessity of reaching this settlement as soon as possible within the frameworks of the negotiations of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs: by also accepting the necessity of reaching this settlement based on goals and principles stipulated in the UN Charter and the OSCE Helsinki Final Act , namely the goals and principles which concern avoiding the use of force or the threat of use of force, territorial integrity of states and equality and self-determination right of peoples and are reflected in all statements of within the frames of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship since the 2008 OSCE 16th ministerial council meeting: mentioning also the European Union’s commitment in assisting the process of the settlement.

As common values, the agreement mentions respect for democratic principles, rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms, namely stipulated in the UN Charter, the OSCE Helsinki Final Act and the 1990 New Europe Paris Charter, as well as in other relevant human rights documents, for example the UN Human Rights Universal Declaration and the European Convention of Human Rights, comprises the domestic and foreign policy basis of the sides and important element of the agreement.

The sides reaffirm their commitments for liberal market economy principles, sustainable development, regional cooperation and effective versatility.

Narine Nazaryan