“I do not see any contradiction between initialing Association Agreement with the EU and Customs Union and, moreover, I think the discussions about Customs Union artificial”,-so expressed his opinion Stepan Grigoryan, Chairman of the Board of ‘Analytical Center on Globalization and Regional Cooperation’ in a conversation with “Aravot”. In response to our question that opinions were heard recently that pressure was applied over Armenia by Russia to join the Customs Union and to fail initialing the EU Association Agreement in November in Vilnius, Mr. Grigoryan said that initialing the Association would take place. “I do not think that we need to contradistinguish our cooperation with Russia and other CIS countries each other with another treaty. The Customs Union, which includes Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus, the rules of the game, here, are contrary to the ones of the World Trade Organization (WTO). And as Russia has already become a WTO member, and now Kazakhstan is striving to become a WTO member, it is obvious that the Customs Union will be either reformed, or collapsed. There is no need to orient on Customs Union because we have nothing in the Customs Union, we have no border, and Customs Union will not give us anything.”
According to Mr. Grigoryan, if the terms of Customs Union are amended, then in that case there will be no conflict in terms of cooperation of Armenia with Europe. “And discussions on the Eurasian Union can be held at a time when Russia clearly specify as to what it is, whether it is an interstate union, what this union should contain, whether there will be state institutions, or not and so on and so forth. When checked, then we will sit down and talk. And the Association Agreement will be signed, because the last 2 years Armenia is actively working and executes all the terms presented in the framework of the Eastern Partnership Program with the European Union, including in terms of free trade zone agreement.” In addition to this, in the opinion of the expert, Armenia meets the EU requirements in the sector of policy. “Armenia does not have the problem, which, for example, is available in Ukraine related to Tymoshenko. The trade sector, the issue of visa facilitation, readmission agreement, these come into collision with those sectors where we are actively working with Russia. And we are working in the military-political sector with Russia, and they are different, not contravening sectors to each other.”
To the question of “Aravot”, as to in that case what does the selling of weapons at such large scale and dangerous to Azerbaijan by Russia mean if it was not ‘a message’ to join the Customs Union, the politician said,- “I do not think that the gas price or selling of arms is connected with our position regarding the Customs Union, in addition, Russia’s policy, in the last few years, is not military and political. Russia acts according to the moment: at this moment, it is beneficial to increase the price in gas, it does, it is beneficial to sell weapons to Azerbaijan, it does, because 1 billion dollars is not a small amount for Russia, as well. I do not think Russia runs a long-term policy, it is more tactical, but not strategic.”
Nelly BABAYAN
