On 9 March, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan conducted a working visit to Brussels where he met with the President of the European Council Charles Michel, President of the European People’s Party (EPP) Donald Tusk and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. 

At the meeting with Michel, the parties discussed a broad range of issues related to the relations between Armenia and the European Union, particularly the broad agenda of the democratic reforms taking place in Armenia. The parties expressed willingness to further develop cooperation between Armenia and the European Union, including trade and economic relations. The two officials also exchanged their views on the expectations from the upcoming Eastern Partnership Summit in Brussels.

At the meeting with Tusk, the speakers exchanged views on Armenia-EU relations, attaching importance to the close and active cooperation between Armenian parliamentarians and delegates of the faction of the European People’s Party in the European Parliament. Pashinyan touched upon the judicial and legal reforms being implemented in Armenia, including the circumstances of the upcoming referendum for amendments to the Constitution.

Pashinyan’s meeting with Tusk was preceded by some speculation that Armenia’s current ruling party, Civil Contract, may be contemplating membership in the EPP. Ruben Rubinyan, a senior member of Pashinian’s Civil Contract party, said  that the party has not applied for membership in any European party structure.

A few days earlier, Tusk also met in Brussels with Armenia’s former President and Chairman of the Republica Party of Armenia, which is a member of the EPP, Serzh Sargsyan (Caucasus Watch reported).  

At the meeting with Borrell,  bilateral and regional issues were discussed. Borell and Pashinyan discussed prospects for the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Borell stated that the EU fully supports the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs for the peaceful resolution of the conflict. Both parties stressed the role of the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus in this context. Borell welcomed Pashinyan’s commitment to reform and to the implementation of the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement and encouraged the further implementation of reform with EU support.