EU Director General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations Christian Danielsson (left) meets with President Serzh Sarkisian on Feb. 3, 2017 (Photo: president.am)

YEREVAN—European Union official Christian Danielsson concluded his two-day visit to Armenia on Friday meeting with President Serzh Sarkisian to discuss deepening ties between the EU and Armenia.

They discussed the progress of the ongoing negotiations in the new EU-Armenia agreement, which will further deepen these relations. Both sides agreed to focus efforts to support a broad range of reforms in Armenia including public administration and justice sector, fight against corruption, and access to finance, education in order to enhance the country’s economic growth and resilience. This will bring tangible results to citizens and will be important in view of the Brussels Summit in November 2017 and beyond.

As a part of the visit, EU Director General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations Danielsson participated on Thursday in the official plaque unveiling ceremony of the newly-constructed building of the Court of First Instance in the city of Ijevan financed by the European Union, together with the Armenian Minister of Justice Arpine Hovhannisyan. On the same day Danielsson met Armenian youth and held a public lecture and discussion at the Matenadaran on the future of EU-Armenia relations.

“Armenia has many talented young people and a strong capacity for research and innovation. The EU will continue to invest in Armenia’s future and support the country’s drive for growth and ambitious reform plans to strengthen governance, fight corruption and ensure an independent, impartial and effective judiciary for the benefit of all Armenian citizens,” Danielsson said.

During his meeting with Danielsson, Sarkisian hailed the intensiveness of Armenia-EU cooperation over the past two years.

The parties voiced hope that the negotiations on a new Framework Agreement would enter a final stage in the near future.

Danielsson attached importance to Sarkisian’s upcoming visit to Brussels, which, he said, will give new impetus to the development of cooperation.

Sarkisian highlighted the importance of the mandate allowing the Commission to start negotiations on an air transport agreement with Armenia.

He pledged the willingness to further promote the cooperation in the fields of reform implementation, freedom of movement, good governance, democracy, human rights and other spheres of reciprocal interest.