Can partial signing of the EU Association Agreement with Ukraine become a precedent for signing similar agreements with other EU partner countries? This question in different formulations was voiced in almost all political meetings of Armenian journalist visiting Estonia thanks to the joint initiative of the Estonian Center of Eastern Partnership and Center of European Union in Yerevan, in the context that unified approach is not displayed to the Eastern Partnership member states. During the meeting with Ms. Kyllike Sillaste-Elling (in the photo), Estonia’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Aravot asked the same question, recalling that Armenia’s Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan recently had expressed an opinion that the EU’s decision to sign the political component of the Association Agreement with Ukraine, also opens a door of opportunities for Armenia. In response, Estonia’s Deputy Foreign Minister said, “I think we should first consider the relations with all EP member states individually. For Ukraine, there is no separation of agreement. Just the political component of the agreement was signed, which is included in the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement.” We noticed that while the president of Armenia, on September 3, would announce about his intention to join the Customs Union, the European officials have already repeatedly voiced their assurances that the Association and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreements are one package, and it it impossible to separate them. Now, in fact, an exception was made for Ukraine. Why can’t this exception be made for other Eastern Partnership countries, to this question of Aravot, Kyllike Sillaste-Elling replied, “As I have already explained, Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement has yet to be signed by Ukraine. In the case of Armenia, as far as I understand, it is recommended to separate the Association Agreement from the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. Since you are a member of the Customs Union, you cannot sign this Agreement of Trade. Whereas Ukraine can and wants to.” In response to the question of ArmenPress whether double standards are not displayed in this respect, the Estonian foreign minister gave a negative response, and added, “Essentially, different solutions are offered in the work with different countries, and I can bring an example that in the Vilnius summit Armenia was the only country of Eastern Partnership membership, with which the joint declaration was signed. Whereas nothing of the kind was conducted with other countries. In other words, different approaches happen, and in the case of Ukraine, as of the present times it was decided that, yes, it would be a support move if this component is signed, and then be continued, especially when the document was agreed upon many years ago.”
Anna Israelyan
Tallinn
