Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, Štefan Füle, met on Thursday evening with representatives of the Armenian opposition Heritage party.
Secretary General of the Heritage Party Board, Styopa Safaryan, and Secretary of the Heritage faction, Zaruhi Postanjyan, welcomed Armenia-EU negotiations on Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement and Visa Facilitation/Readmission Agreement. Heritage representatives stressed the need for elimination of systemic corruption and monopoly in Armenia, as well as the need for real democratization of political and economic fields of the country. They also emphasized the need and opportunity to provide an equal footing to all candidates during the 2013 presidential elections.
The party's secretary general reflected upon the Baku-hosted EURONEST session in May 2012, saying the tolerance displayed towards Azerbaijani president's anti-Armenian posture paved the way for the extradition and pardoning of Azeri axe-killer Ramil Safarov, which was initially aimed at fueling tension in the region.
Styopa Safaryan called on the EU Commissioner to tighten the requirements posed to Baku in Azerbaijan-EU talks over association agreements and hold Azerbaijan accountable before the international community.
"The shameful deal between Azerbaijan and Hungary that resulted in Safarov's extradition made Artsakh's existence within Azerbaijan quite impossible, even for a day. Not a single Armenia can get a wink of sleep in Azerbaijan, given the fact that Aliyev and his administration pardon and glorify an Azeri murderer who brutally killed an Armenian officer," he said.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Armenian National Federation-Dashnaktsutyun and Prosperous Armenia Party.
