“Today, the number one news for no reason is considered whether two, two-and-a-half, four, or one force would participate in the rally. But there are more important issues”, so responded PANM Board member Hovhannes Igityan, in the conversation with Aravot.am, referring to the matter of signing Armenia’s accession agreement to the Eurasian Economic Union (EaEU) at the October 10 session of leaders of the countries of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council. According to him, the parliamentary forces should raise the issue of what happened to those questions, which were related to Karabakh, and clarifications to a number of kinds of products.
Mr. Igityan thinks that the Karabakh issue is a derivative. He detailed, “The matter is more global. Armenia is going to EaEU, a place where clearly and with silent consent of all it was said to Armenia that it should install a customs checkpoint in the section with NKR and one month period was given to Armenia for it.” Mr. Igityan stresses that it needs to be asserted whether the NKR issue was been withdrawn from the Eurasian Commission or not. Hovhannes Igityan remind also of the list of 900 kinds of products, the price increase of which would wreck the social sector in Armenia. According to the PANM Board member, the non-governmental forces should not raise the issue of the red lines, with which the civic movements are engaged, but be interested in other matters.
To our question of whether these issues may an obstacle, and no agreement would be signed on October 10, Mr. Igityan replied, “If you put a pen in Serzh Sargsyan’s hand, he would sign anything, regardless of whether there is an issue of installing a customs checkpoint or it refers to the kinds of products. It was already definite in Sochi. The situation was as such that it was not Armenia to making a demand, but an ultimatum was presented to Armenia, if you do not do what we want, I’ll do what I want, what I do in Ukraine I would do the same in Karabakh.”
To the question of whether the Russian Federation is interested in Armenia’s access to the EaEU, Mr. Igityan responded that economically it is “neither hot nor cold” for Russia, but politically it has a particular interest. “The statement made by the Chairman of Russia’s State Duma’s Committee on CIS countries that thereby we create a second serious pole means that Russia views this issue as a political one. In this situation, when Russia is considered a pariah, an evil country, even Belarus and Kazakhstan do not stand next to it, it is trying to show to the world that there are countries that come and stand next to it.” Hovhannes Igityan believes that signing an agreement and a real membership are different things. It could be signed, but to implement it in today’s reality is impossible.
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Mr. Igityan believes that there are a number of unspecified issues. The sanctions against Russia, the point that Armenia does not have a border with the Russian Federation and should solve problem this Georgia, on the other hand, Georgian is making anti-Russian statements.” Hovhannes Igityan highlights also the military component and lists the possible risks. “Russia is trying to involve other countries into the conflict with Ukraine. Is Armenia ready to go with Russia and carry out aggression in Ukraine? We are also tied to Russia with CSTO agreement, aren’t we? Russian troops are currently in Ukraine and if Russia involves us in all of this, how beneficial it is to us. The answers to these questions should be given by the government, or at least, by non-governmental forces.”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
