10 November 2023, Brussels

We, the participants of the Armenia-Europe Conference entitled “Strategic Future of Armenia” declare the perspective of the Republic of Armenia’s integration into the European Union as strategic.

We will advocate for the comprehensive integration of Armenia into the European Union, the mutually beneficial exchange and development of advanced innovative technologies, the sharing of business culture, practices and skills, the entry of Armenian producers into the European markets and the expansion of the flow of European investments to Armenia, as well as establishing strategic allied relations between Armenia and the interested member states of the European Union.

We will also pursue that the Armenian authorities continue the policy aimed at European integration, implementing democratic reforms based on the rule of fundamental human rights and freedoms. Armenia’s current indicators on democracy, freedom of speech, and the fight against corruption must be considered an entry point. It is necessary to fully implement CEPA as soon as possible and strive for more – the next phases of deeper integration into the EU, up to EU membership. In this regard, the fight against corruption, judicial reforms, comprehensive and full lustration and vetting, as well as the diversification of foreign trade ties, the full alignment of institutions with the requirements of democracy are of primary importance. In the light of the aforementioned, we also underscore the need to increase the role of the civil society, including the European platforms of the Armenian civil society.

Armenia must also sign an agreement with the EU on a visa-free regime, which will allow the citizens of Armenia to freely enter the territory of the European Union.

We will pursue that the government of the Republic of Armenia consistently implements reforms in the defense and security sector of Armenia as a process aimed at effective protection of Armenia’s national security interests and establishment of regional peace and security. The most important component of this process is the initiation of systematic and mutually beneficial military and political cooperation by the Republic of Armenia with states that carry democratic values, coupled with the reduction of Armenia’s dependence on Russia and practical steps aimed at its further elimination.

In the light of the aforementioned, we welcome the cooperation of the Republic of Armenia with EU members France, Federal Republic of Germany, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Lithuania and the Czech Republic, as well as the United States, the Republic of India, Canada, Japan and the Republic of Korea (South Korea), we urge the Armenian government to make additional efforts to expand the mutually beneficial partnership network in the security sector.

We highly value the impartial stance of the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on Artsakh and their support for the young democracy of Armenia.

We are well aware that the Republic of Armenia is and will continue to be targeted by authoritarian regimes for its democratic choice, its aspiration to live freely and sovereignly. At the same time, we are determined to fight to build and strengthen the civilizational future of Armenia in the family of states that carry democratic and humanitarian values. On the path to the achieving this goal, we are ready to contribute to the formation and strengthening of democratic forces in the political field of Armenia.

We express our support to the forcibly displaced and depatriated Artsakh Armenians from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and condemn the ethnic cleansing of the Armenian population conducted by the Aliyev dictatorship in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). We demand from Azerbaijan to allow the deployment of UN-mandated peacekeeping troops and the offices of international organizations in Artsakh, and to recognize the right of full autonomy of the Armenians of Artsakh, only after which will the return of people to their homeland be possible.

We are grateful to the European Union and individual states for providing humanitarian aid to the forcibly displaced Artsakh Armenians.

We condemn Russia’s military invasion of the sovereign territories of Ukraine, we demand to cease the war unleashed by the Kremlin against the sovereign country and to withdraw the occupation troops from its territory. We call on the authorities of Armenia to join the Crimea platform in support of the fair struggle of the Ukrainian people for the preservation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and independence.

We urge the Armenian government to start the process of withdrawing from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the Cooperation of Independent States (CIS), as well as to initiate a process of inventorying and reviewing strategic relations with the Russian Federation. We also call on the Armenian government to take adequate and decisive steps against the Russian propaganda campaign against Armenia’s sovereignty and democracy.

We call on the European Union to heed the recommendations developed by the Armenia-Europe Conference which will be conveyed in complete form to the European Council, the European Commission and the relevant committees of the European Parliament. At the same time, we call on the European Union to be a consistent claimant regarding the fulfillment of the obligations assumed by the RA authorities with respect to the EU.

We intend to make the Armenia-Europe Conference a standing platform for meeting and dialogue between the political forces of Armenia and Europe as well as government officials, civil society and the expert community.

Hence,

The strategic future of Armenia is full membership in the European Union.

The strategic future of Armenia is integration into the Euro-Atlantic security system.

The strategic future of Armenia is the establishment of democracy, including through the strengthening of the rule of law and the protection of human rights.

The strategic future of Armenia is to be part of the family of civilized nations.