Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan participated on Monday in an EU and Eastern Partnership ministerial meeting in Brussels.

The event was attended by High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, and European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule.

According to a press release by the Foreign Ministry, the Armenian FM said in his speech that the accomplishments reached between the Prague and Warsaw summits, and the activities being undertaken ahead of the Vilnius meeting testify to the viability of the project.

“The Eastern Partnership ministerial meetings are a good opportunity to exchange ideas over promoting cooperation, to sum up the accomplishments and to introduce the expectations, as well as to elaborate steps to be undertaken. I am pleased to note that Armenia has made a considerable progress since the launch of the Association Agreement talks two years ago. Twenty-eight of the 29 negotiation chapters have been closed, with only one chapter left to agree upon,” the Armenian FM said.

Nalbandyan noted the positive experience allows Armenia to expect a swift progress of the negotiations over the Associated Agreement, and a Comprehensive Free Trade Area.

“Interpersonal contacts and the promotion of mobility are yet another component of collaboration. I am happy to note that the agreements over entry visa facilitation and readmission have been now finalized, and we expect them to be signed and ratified in the near future,” he added.

A joint statement adopted at the meeting ighlights that the a road map introduced by the European Commission and EU vice president and high representative establishes a positive guideline ahead of the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius. The participants agreed that the 2013 meeting will be a good opportunity for considering and outlining future steps.

Nalbandyan met Fule before the meeting to discuss details over the arrangement of donors’ conference in Armenia, and the timeframes of high-ranking officials’ scheduled visits.

Later in the day, Armenia’s top diplomat met Belgian Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Didier Reynders.