Armenia: Imagining the Integration of the Southern Caucasus with the EU BORIS NAVASARDIAN eu –Armenian relations have undergone continuous progress during the past 15 years, reaching the Eastern Partnership(EaP) stage. They enjoy official, political, and public support: all the players in Armenia’s socio­political arena have particular incentives and interests – albeit different and sometimes even contradictory – regarding the EaP. This includes the government(both executive and legislative branches), the opposition, and civil society. The eu and its representatives, however, are taking a very cautious and sometimes quite controversial approach towards the EaP. This creates a measure of uncertainty and hence diverging inter­pretations and expectations of the goals of and prospects for the EaP. At the same time, coordination of the efforts and expectations surrounding the EaP among the main players in Armenia and their development of a mutually agreed agenda in that regard may convince the eu to sup­port such an agenda and to engage more in bilateral relations. Armenian civil society should push for such a national consensus on the reform agenda and demand commitment and accountability on the part of the government. Armenia’s Relations with the EU Armenia and the eu first established formal relations in 1996 through their Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, which entered into force in 1999. In 2004, the European Council decided to offer Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia the opportunity to participate in the European Neighbourhood Policy( enp ). On this basis, the eu –Armenia enp Action Plan was approved in 2006 for a period of five years. The Country Strategy Paper for Armenia thus covers the period from 2007 to 2013. Assistance to Armenia over that period will be provided principally under the new European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument( enpi ). The principal objective of eu –Armenia cooperation at this stage is to 62 Navasardian, Armenia ipg 3/2011