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The Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed last Friday between Armenia and the European Union creates new opportunities and opens some new doors, the Head of the European Union Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Piotr Świtalski told a press conference on Monday.

According to the diplomat, the new agreement will boost the Armenia-EU relations, consolidate the basis of those relations and will further enlarge the scope of the bilateral cooperation. Mr. Świtalski highlighted the good implementation of the agreement as a key factor to benefit from it. “This agreements, although negotiated by diplomats, signed by politicians, are about the ordinary people,” he noted.

“We encourage, we support but we never impose anything. Therefore, on this wonderful note of a new chapter, new quality in our cooperation, we can say that we are committed to more. I do not find it appropriate to talk about sanctions, failures, because I am quite optimistic that this agreement will bring new quality in our relations. I am consistently optimistic. This is a cooperative endeavour and we will succeed,” the EU envoy said.

The Ambassador stressed this agreement is different from the Association Agreement, meantime adding the CEPA is ambitious. He stated the EU is always taking on board the aspirations of its partners. “The agreement does not contain any magic wand, which will change the reality overnight. Nevertheless, I think the agreement will bring about tangible, visible improvements from the point of view of ordinary citizens. First of all, the aspect of common values is very important. This agreement can serve as an instrument of better protection of rights of ordinary citizens, resulting in much democratic procedures and processes in the strength of rule of law,” Mr. Świtalski said, assuring the EU is willing to share with Armenia all its best experiences in terms of good governance. He also added the agreement can bring economic benefits.

Ambassador Świtalski expressed hope that the agreement may function as an encouraging instrument, with some of its elements being tangible result of it and the EU will provide very concrete financial assistance to implement the agreement.

“We don’t expect anything tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, but when we work together with our Armenian partners, I am more than confident the cooperation spirit which prevailed during the negotiations of this agreement, will be strengthening in the implementation phase, and real facts will prove how beneficial this agreement is for Armenia. It is not directed at any third party, and I would say even more than several elements contained in this agreement will be beneficial for other partners of Armenia,” he said, adding, “This agreement is very open in its philosophy. When negotiating this agreement we did not think about us alone. If applied well, it will bring the desired changes in terms of governance, economy, business, energy, transport, people to people contacts… We do not want to monopolize the benefits.”