Yerevan /Mediamax/. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said that “Armenia joined the Eastern Partnership with a deep conviction that it is not directed against any third country”.

The President stated it at the High-level Meeting on the 5th Anniversary of the Eastern Partnership in Prague on April 24.

“The Ukrainian crisis has demonstrated that lack of understanding of the root causes of the current situation can call further proceeding of the Eastern Partnership into question. Armenia joined the Eastern Partnership with a deep conviction that it is not directed against any third country. We remain of that same conviction. This initiative has got all prerequisites to become not a separating wall but a bridge that connects. It is necessary to find solutions by means of a dialogue that take into account interests of all regional beneficiaries”, said the Armenian President.

“The process of reforms carried out under the Eastern Partnership tutelage in the preceding five years has significantly consolidated Armenia’s democratic development. Tangible progress has been registered in the fight against corruption, free and fair elections, ensuring free economic competition, improvement of transparent functioning of the state structures, safeguarding independence of judiciary and development of civil society. By the same token we are fully aware that we still have a lot to do in order to establish a real democracy of the European kind”, stated Serzh Sargsyan.