The Head of European Diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, is expected to visit Armenia in the coming weeks.
During an extraordinary session of the parliamentary commission on European integration on January 24, Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan announced the planned visit, during which a range of bilateral cooperation issues will be discussed.
According to Hovhannisyan, Armenia and the EU are already negotiating a new cooperation agenda aimed at deepening economic ties.
The announcement comes amid discussions in the parliamentary commission regarding a bill to initiate Armenia’s accession process to the EU, a proposal that was recently approved by the Armenian government.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia believes this step could advance negotiations on visa liberalization between Armenia and the European Union.
Earlier, BMG reported that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, citing a statement by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk, emphasized the incompatibility of simultaneous participation in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the EU due to differences in customs and tariff systems.
Overchuk recently stated that Armenia’s discussion of the EU accession bill is viewed by Russia as the first step toward leaving the EAEU. He warned that such a decision could lead to a significant rise in energy and food prices in Armenia, as well as a 70-80% reduction in Armenian exports.
