After Parliament Elections, EU chooses its new leaders

The newly elected MEPs met in Parliament to elect their President, Vice-Presidents as well as the leaders of each standing committees and subcommittees.

On July 10, David McAllister was re-elected President of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament. McAllister is a German member of the

EPP (right-wing) political group. He already served one term as the Chair of Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee. This Committee plays a key role in steering EU policy towards non-member countries, including candidate countries and neighbouring countries, such as Armenia.

A week before him, the European Parliament had elected its president, David Sassoli, an Italian member of the S&D (left-wing).

Joseph Borrel Fontelles (member of the Spanish Socialist Worker’s Party) was appointed EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. If confirmed by Parliament, he will play a central role in EU foreign policy...read more

92% of Armenians hold a “favourable view” of their country’s relation with the EU

Just as many Europeans seem to be turning against European integration, citizens of Armenia, it seems, are increasingly favourable to the EU, as are many other East Europeans. This was revealed by a new survey carried out by the EU in the 6 Eastern Partnership Countries.

 

The figures showed that 62% of residents of Armenia have a positive perception of the EU, up from the previous year. The average across the six countries of the Eastern Partnership is a slightly lower 57%. The Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries include Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia. Similarly, 92% of those living in Armenia had a favourable view of their country’s relations with the EU, and 61% had a “high level of trust” towards the EU (the regional averages are 67% and 58% respectively). The EU, furthermore, appears to be the most trusted international institutions in Armenia, ahead of the UN, NATO, and the Eurasian Economic Union...read more

 
On May 21, Europa Nostra awarded the European Heritage Awards, Europe’s most prestigious honour in the field. Two Armenian initiatives were honoured on this occasion: TUMO Center for Creative Technologies and Solak 1: Model of Predictive Archaeology.

       
       

In the category “education, training and awareness-raising”, Europe recognized the TUMO Centre for Creative Technologies. At TUMO, 12 to 18 year olds from all backgrounds combine their local, cultural heritage with state-of-the-art international tools, engaging in cultural learning targets such as animation, game development, 3D mapping, music, writing and robotics...read more

Which Way Forward for International Engagement and Confidence-Building in Nagorno-Karabakh?

The EU has been sponsoring confidence-building and dialogue since 2010. Its flagship project, EPNK, just ended. What comes next?

 

Confidence building aims to help reduce tensions and prepare minds for peace. The EU’s flagship programme regarding the Karabakh conflict is the EPNK, the “European Partnership for the Peaceful Settlement of the Conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh”. However, in spite of a considerable investment, that programme has had disappointing results.

EPNK has now ended, and a new programme is being developed: could the new programme be more effective than the last? To answer that question, AGBU brought together individuals experienced in confidence-building from both Nagorno-Karabakh and from Armenia to examine the shortcomings of EPNK and of other similar programmes, and to formulate suggestions for the future....read more

AGBU President Launches New Projects in Artsakh, Meets Armenian PM

In early June, AGBU President visited Artsakh and Armenia to formally announce a major push behind its AGBU Fund for Artsakh, a four-way strategy for sustainable socio-economic growth in Artsakh centered around programs in education, culture, humanitarian relief, and socio-economic development. The visit was followed by a number of meetings, including with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia. 

The AGBU Fund for Artsakh  was officially launched in 2018 as an umbrella entity to provide for such projects as emergency medical support in response to the April 2016 four-day war, educating the next generation of innovators through its collaboration with the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, helping advance deserving students with university scholarships, and supporting Military Officer Education for both on and off the battlefield. On the cultural front, the Fund continues to support the Artsakh Chamber Orchestra...read more

Armenians have much at stake in the EU, and much to contribute. AGBU's European Policy Highlights tell the story of that work in progress. It is written for all those who wish to understand a changing world from the point of view of a small nation and to shape
it for the better.

Please help us improve these Highlights and tell us what issues you would like to read about. We look forward to reading our readers’comments and suggestions at: nicolas.tavitian@agbueurope.eu

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