Receiving European Council President Herman van Rompuy on Wednesday afternoon, Serzh Sargsyan reaffirmed the Armenian authorities’ commitment to record a new progress in the country in the course of the 2013 presidential polls.

According to a press release by the Presidential Office, the Armenian leader and the EU official summed up the results of their talks at a news conference following the meeting.

A working dinner was organized on behalf of the president in honor of the high-ranking guest.

In a statement issued for media outlets, President Sargsyan hailed Rompuy’s visit to Armenia, noting that the high-level meeting contributes to the further deepening and broadening of the EU-Armenia relations.

Speaking of the significant progress in bilateral collaboration, the president said that both he and the European official reiterated the willingness to maintain the positive dynamics and continue developing the ties.

“Armenia is determined to implement large-scale reforms aimed at contributing to the country’s further democratization, strengthening the rule of law, enhancing the socio-economic situation and increasing the level of state governance. In this process, we see the European Union as a reliable partner and supporter. We had effective discussions over the European assistance to our reforms.

Together with Mr. President, we discussed the latest developments in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement talks. We once again confirmed that the conflict has to be resolved in the frameworks of the OSCE Minsk Group, based on the UN Charter and the principles set out in the Helsinki Final Act. The threats to use force, as well as armed provocations are as unacceptable in the 21st century Europe, as xenophobic statements, intolerance and the attempts to proofread history. We hail the European Union’s willingness to implement confidence-strengthening measures and achieve long-term peace in the region,” reads the statement.