“I do not think that such developments are possible. However, there is no clear impulse for this opinion be realistic. Moreover, I think the parallels with Ukraine are absolutely irrelevant”, – so responded Gagik Minasyan, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs of the Armenian National Assembly, MP of Republican party, to the questions of Aravot.am. To remind that last week Russia’s Federal Customs Service decided to include all products imported from Ukraine in the “risk group” immediately and without warning, which means that, henceforth, Russian customs officers are going to totally and thoroughly examine Ukrainian products, and before giving a green light to them, they will first demand to unload everything, and then upload.
Analysts and politicians believe that with this move official Moscow punishes Ukraine to avoid joining the Customs Union proposed by Vladimir Putin and to go to Europe. Aravot.am inquired from Republican MP whether there is a possibility that RF will start applying similar sanctions against Armenia in case of initialing Association Agreement on Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area with EU. To our question as to why drawing parallels between Armenia and Ukraine is not relevant, Mr. Minasyan said,- “Other countries substantially differ from Armenia in the sense that the other three are not in the same defensive system. While Armenia is a CSTO member, and has assumed an extremely active role. Our strategic relationships with the CSTO member-states are rather promising, especially with RF. In fact, for both sides.” To remind that four out of six countries included in the Eastern Partnership should sign or initial EU Association Agreement on Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area in November, in Vilnius, one of which is Armenia. Gagik Minasyan added that Russian military bases located in Armenia, which are important spheres for the defense of Armenia, solve not less important issue for RF, as well. He also noted that in addition to the fact that the other three states are not CSTO members, they have also stated about their pretension of becoming an EU member. While, there is no such an issue in the agenda of official Yerevan. “The process of Armenia’s current policy has one emphasized display: to continue the relations of nowadays and justified itself in the course of years and formed economically, politically and military by adding new possibilities that may be beneficial not only for Armenia, but also for our strategic partner”,- said Gagik Minasyan.
Nelly Grigoryan
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