“I consider the statement made during Sargsyan-Putin meeting retarded and a big mistake”,-so expresses his opinion the former Chairman of NA Foreign Relations Committee, member of newly established ANM initiative Hovhannes Igityan, in the interview with Aravot.am, commenting on the statement of joining the Customs Union made by the RA President in Russia. As per Mr. Igityan “Serzh Sargsyan has repeatedly stated about initialing to join Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade area between the EU and Armenia in Vilnius. I still do not know the official view, I have read the ITAR-TASS news, the form that is introduced by Russia, I suppose, is in line with reality, Armenia went to Moscow to ask Putin to allow us to join the Customs Union, afterwards Eurasia, it is presented in very humiliating form.
I do not know the response of Europe, but I think it is an economic and political mistake.” To our question of what the Customs Union will give Armenia and what we were deprived of not joining the EU deep and comprehensive free trade area, Mr. Igityan said that he would not have any progress, because we did not have a problem of trade with Russia. “We had a contract with Russia on free interactions and trade, and time showed that it does not provide us with economic growth, while Russia is number one investor country for Armenia, and Armenia’s only chance of quick development was the development of economic relations with the European Union, which failed.” To remind you that today during the joint statement of the RA President Serzh Sargsyan and the President of the RF Vladimir Putin, the President of Armenia said, -“We discussed in detail issues related to the Eurasian integration and I confirmed Armenia’s decision to join the Customs Union and participate in the processes of formation of the Eurasian economic union.”.
Nelly Babayan
