YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, NOYAN TAPAN. Last year, Armenia-EU relations developed actively, and the policy of Armenia's integration into the European family continued, the Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner, who is on a working visit to Yerevan, stated at the January 19 meeting with the Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian. In terms of political dialog, the sides attached special importance to the Armenian president's visit to Brussels in November 2008, his meetings with leaders of European structures and the agreements reached during these meetings, as well as to the sitting of the Armenia-EU Council held in Brussels in December. Expressing satisfaction at the cooperation with Armenia, B. Ferrero-Waldner welcomed Armenia's readiness to receive EU advisors who will assist with reforms in Armenia. She presented the main provisions of the European Commission's Eastern Partnership proposal, noting that this program opens opportunities for close cooperation. E. Nalbandian welcomed Eastern Partnership proposal and underlined Armenia's willingness to actively cooperate with the European Commission in this direction. According to a press release submitted to NT by the RA MFA Press and Information Department, the interlocutors discussed issues related to the settlement of the Artsakh problem. In this context they welcomed the Moscow Declaration of November 2, 2008, and the documents on the Artsakh problem which were adopted by the Council of OSCE Foreign Ministers in Helsinki on December 4-5. The sides also exchanged ideas on the opportunities of regulating the Armenian-Turkish relations and addressed a number of international and regional problems.

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