EU Association Agreement enables to join free trade zones
Yesterday, Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan met with High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton in Brussels.
According to the official information, the RA Foreign Minister reiterated the position of official Yerevan of the last few weeks: Armenia seeks to promote the cooperation with the EU in all possible directions, based on joint achievements and progress that, in recent years, have been registered in Armenia-EU relations. “We are determined to continue the reform process towards enhancement of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, good governance, improvement of the judiciary system, and the fight against corruption. In this process, we expect the EU’s continued support,” said he. Nalbandyan said that there is a serious potential in the field of sectoral cooperation that includes dozens of ways. He indicated the Framework Agreement protocol that was signed last December between the UN and Armenia, by which Armenia is having an opportunity to participate in various EU projects. Ashton, in her turn, noted that the EU wants to continue the development of comprehensive cooperation with Armenia in all directions, which would be consistent with Armenia’s decision of joining the Customs Union.
Prior to this meeting, Ashton’s Press Speaker Maya Kochiyanchich, to the correction question of “Liberty” radio station whether ahead to Vilnius summit, especially what issues will be discussed between Ashton and Nalbandyan, answered, “You know that the EU remains committed to deepening ties with Armenia, but we are well aware of Armenia’s recent decision, and this is a step forward for both parties. I mean, Armenia and the EU have issues to be discussed, and this is a good opportunity.” To the question whether it is possible that any kind of document may be signed in Vilnius, Kochiyanchich said, “The EU will continue to deepen its relations with Armenia, but this, of course, is possible only in those areas that are compatible with Yerevan’s recently announced joining the Customs Union.”
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While the Minister was traveling to Brussels, a revelation sounded from Ukraine’s Prime Minister in these days, which might be instructive for Armenia’s authorities and especially for those who consider signing of the EU Association Agreement a loss of sovereignty for Armenia.
So, two days ago, in Minsk, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has accepted Ukraine’s Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov. The latter, expressing his gratitude to the leaders of Belarus for accepting Ukraine’s decision to sign the EU Association Agreement restrained and balanced, expressed a remarkable idea, “Of course, Ukraine is not just setting a goal to be with the EU and the Customs Union countries. Ukraine is doomed to this partnership. We are neighbors, we have borders with Belarus, RF and the EU.” And before leaving for Minsk, Azarov, answering the questions of “Sovetskaya Belorussia” newspaper, argued that signing the Association Agreement, will not be deprived of Ukraine’s sovereignty and the right to make decisions, and has made such a disclosure, “There is a special Article in the Agreement, and the EU has officially approved it, which enables us to join the free trade zones, sign contract with the customs unions. This is our sovereign right.”
Interestingly, have the authorities of Armenia and, in particular, Armenia’s Foreign Ministry forgotten about the existence of this Article in the EU Association Agreement?… Wasn’t it possible to sign the EU Association Agreement in Vilnius summit, and to build relationships with the CU based on the logic of aforesaid Article?
Now, the meetings with European diplomats and assurance of the official Yerevan that “Armenia is ready to …”, of course, are important as a formal diplomatic message by the official Yerevan, but it leaves the impression that, as if what we have, a sandy huge house, we have demolished it with our own hands in one shot, now we are trying to build at least a small hut, when there was no need to demolish the huge house, we might have continued the cooperation with the Customs Union (if the structure, of course, was to prove its viability over time), not at the expense of the EU Association Agreement.
In general, it leaves the impression that RA authorities simply freed themselves from Moscow’s possible pressures. And that the pressures continue to grow at a larger scale, we are informed from foreign mass media almost on daily basis. Recently, the RF sanitary services stopped the import of dairy products from Lithuania due to the claims to the quality, announced the chief sanitary doctor Gennady Onishchenko. And, yesterday, Onishchenko announced that the RF Sanitary service will not allow the sale of 28 samples of Georgian alcohol in the Russian market. He said that as a result of analysis of samples, 28 expert conclusions were drawn, pursuant to which, the samples do not meet the requirements of the Russian side.
In the Russian arsenal, the “accusations” against the former Soviet Republics in commercial matters, as always, are the same; there is no even a fantasy…
Emma GABRIELYAN
