President of the European Union Herman van Rompuy is on a visit to Armenia. He met Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and noted that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution is still a priority for the EU. Settling the conflict needs mutual trust and the prevention of incidents on the contact line. The EU approves the statement made by co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group in Los Cabos, Rompuy says.
The settlement of the conflict needs the will of politicians and society, the EU president said at the Armenian parliament. Settling the conflict would bring stability and prosperity.
Rompuy reminded Armenia and Azerbaijan about the way France and Germany coped with their hostilities, forming the fundament of the European Union.
The EU official promised to increase financial support of Armenia by 25% to €15 million for integration. Stefan Fule, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy, said that the aid would only be provided for fair presidential polls in 2013.
Rompuy said that he met Sargsyan in Warsaw and Brussels before. The sides have active negotiations on associated membership, free trade zone and simplification of the visa regime. Armenia needs to continue its democratic progress and respect for human rights.
The EU president welcomed Armenia’s efforts for clear and competitive elections and expressed hope that the drawbacks described in the ODIHR/OSCE report would be fixed.
Rompuy added that the joint program for rapprochement of the EU and Armenia needs public support.
The EU president will arrive in Georgia today to meet President Mikheil Saakashvili and Speaker of Parliament David Bakradze in Tbilisi. Rompuy will also meet members of the EU monitoring mission. His visit in Georgia will last several hours, then he will head to Baku (Azerbaijan).
