March 6, 2004 

Raffi Hovannisian Attends World Conference on the European Union and Its New Eastern Neighbors

London—Raffi K. Hovannisian, Armenia’s first Minister of Foreign Affairs and founder of the Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS), attended between March 1 and 5 and addressed an international conclave entitled “The EU’s New Eastern Neighbors: How Will the EU’s New Policy Evolve?” 

 Organized near London by Wilton Park, a convention center of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the conference brought together world leaders, diplomats, international organization officials, and regional representatives. They focused on the European Union’s “Wider Europe” initiative; cooperation building and capabilities, resources and prospects for a wider Europe; Russia and the EU neighborhood policy and implications for the “buffer” zone; security sector reform; the role and impact of international and local NGOs; transport, energy, and telecommunications systems; Ukrainian, Belarusian, Moldovan, and Armenian foreign policy in the context of European developments; the dynamics of migration and implications for the EU and its new neighbors; and the economic and commercial relationship between the new members and the new neighbors.

In the margins of the meeting, Hovannisian held separate talks with Colin Jennings, Chief Executive of Wilton Park; Michael Leigh, Deputy Director General of External Relations for the European Commission in Brussels; Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister for European Integration Oleksandr Chalyi; Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Ruben Shugarian, who was also a key speaker at the conference; and various officials from the European Union and other foreign countries.

Founded in 1994 by Raffi Hovannisian and supported by a global network of contributors, ACNIS serves as a link between innovative scholarship and the public policy challenges facing Armenia and the Armenian people in the post-Soviet world. It also aspires to be a catalyst for creative, strategic thinking and a wider understanding of the new global environment. In 2004, the Center focuses primarily on applied research, civic education, and public outreach on critical domestic and foreign policy issues for the state and the nation.

Founded in 1994 by Armenia’s first Minister of Foreign Affairs Raffi K. Hovannisian, and supported by the Lincy Foundation and a global network of contributors, ACNIS serves as a link between innovative scholarship and the public policy challenges facing Armenia and the Armenian people in the post-Soviet world. It also aspires to be a catalyst for creative, strategic thinking and a wider understanding of the new global environment. In 2004, the Center focuses primarily on public outreach, civic education, and applied research on critical domestic and foreign policy issues for the state and the nation.

For further information on the Center and its activities, call (37410) 52-87-80 or 27-48-18; fax (37410) 52-48-46; e-mail root@acnis.am or info@acnis.am