“Our initiative is called a “European choice” for the very simple reason that our initiators are the people who consider that we need the very European standards for the formation of a state model for Armenia, and organizing the domestic public life of the country,” said the member of “European Choice” initiative, President of the Yerevan Press Club, Boris Navasardyan, in the conversation with Aravot.am.
He expressed hope that the initiative will be able to change the situation, and due to a clash of various available ideas, the resources of the initiative will be formed. Boris Navasardyan mentioned that a strange situation has been established during the years of independence in Armenia, where the wind blows, the state moves to that direction. “The wind blows from the West, we are negotiating on Association Agreement, the wind starts blowing from the East, and we unite around the Customs Union. It cannot be a healthy situation, since you’re exposed to wind blowing in any direction, you’re susceptible to infections, and fatal infections. Only when our building, our country is protected from the winds blowing from different directions, we can protect us from these infections, therefore we need to have a clear protective environment inside the country, and this environment can only be possible due to wide debates.” Referring to the statements made by French President Francois Hollande and the French Ambassador to Armenia Henri Reynaud, Boris Navasardyan stated that it is a desire by the EU and its member countries to see Armenia in the integration processes. “Unfortunately, Armenia, turning the opposite direction in one day, is not ready to formulate its European ambitions. The formation of the agenda associated with the European direction is primary in Armenia to be able to first with small proactive group and later by public and political ways start building new system relationships with the EU, because the European Union is open to Armenia, which is a great advantage, and is still open after September 3.” To our question of what the “European choice” initiative will be doing to achieve its goals, Mr. Navasardyan mentioned that they will conduct a community work and will force the political parties that have common opinion with them to form a political agenda. “We are a civil initiative, and we cannot form a political agenda, we can form the agenda only in collaboration with parties. And, there is also a goal to introduce this idea to the Parliament.” Aravot.am asked Boris Navasardyan about his expectations for Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union, to which Mr. Navasardyan responded that in that case there is a treat to Armenia’s sovereignty, Nagorno- Karabakh’s security, and aggravation of social and economic problems, and subsequently intensification of migration. “Our society will feel the impact of these consequences fairly soon, and we would like to picture the reality as soon as possible, and not let people feel it when this disaster reaches them. There is no tendency against any country here. There is only a desire to protect the national interests of Armenia.”
Ami CHICHAKYAN
