The forces and politicians who are against Armenia’s accession to EaEU will still fight against it in different ways.
Representatives of both government and “non-government” forces declaring that, in fact, Armenia’s integration to the Eurasian Economic Union is irreversible, in the last few days announced from various platforms that if there are anti-EaEU forces in our society, then where they were and why they did not carry out any protest against signing of the decision on Armenia’s accession to EaEU on October 10 in Minsk. And really, why small-numbered political forces and individuals acting against Armenia’s accession to the EaEU, who have the courage to talk about it, did not do even a small-scale protest, let’s say, did not meet Serzh Sargsyan at the airport with posters or at least did not do a silent protest in front of the presidential office and so on… Is the reason that EaEU is really an “irreversible” process, or they did not have the resources or time or it was not appropriate, etc.? What was the reason?
With this respect, “Aravot” turned to the people who openly acted from anti-EaEU positions.
The founder of the Armenian Institute for International and Security Affairs, Styopa Safaryan, in response to our question said, “So far I’ve been quite active in all of the public events organized after September 3, 2013, which were related to Armenia’s membership to EaEU. Back in early September, I had the desire to meet like-minded people to discuss the issue of organizing any event on October 10. Initially, among the possible options I could see not only the public event, but also a great forum or something like that. But it was a surprise when it was announced about the ANC-PAP-“Heritage” joint rally in the Freedom Square on the same day. On this day, gathered in any other square would mean allowing making a comparison between “pros” and “cons” masses for the accession to the EaEU, to the detriment of the first one, because definitely the event would not be attended by too many people than it was brought to the Freedom Square. And inadvertently it would turn out that, really, those who are for Armenia’s accession are thousands, whereas those who are against it are a few suffering from convulsion, as Ter-Petrosyan allowed himself to express. Therefore, I did not think anymore of this idea, because what was done by the forces inviting the rally, was just a brilliantly organized operation, and I cannot but confess that its authors “went ahead” of us. The reason for my inactivity, perhaps, is this. But this does not mean that I am not initiating anything in the future. Soon, the Armenian Institute for International and Security Affairs founded by me will launch, and we would continue with our reports, forums and discussions at least our position to the public.”
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Coordinator of Armenia Today news-analytical agency, also Executive Director of “Bagin” Advocates office, Argishti Kiviryan, who actively participated in last year’s various protests against the Customs Union, said that he does not agree with the assertion that “the EaEU is an “irreversible” process.” The “EaEU “is not an irreversible process”, it is just one of the recent chimeras of Russian imperialism. Russia does not have the economic and military resources to be able to end the process, and is more preoccupied with trying to keep some of the former Soviet republics under its influence to the end. In Armenia, there were no protests on the day of signing the agreement on Armenia’s accession to the EaEU by Serzh Sargsyan, probably because consciousness has already been matured in the mind of some people that the process of the “protest for the sake of protest” is barren in itself, and it is necessary to think about initiating more serious processes that would produce real results and undermine Armenia’s neo-colonization. We must also note that the new process of the fight against the EaEU will be quite complicated, because in fact not only the government authorities, but also currently leading opposition have accepted the “irreversibility” of the EaEU, and in the global sense, are fighting for who will get the keys of the current Armenian capital to Moscow declaring itself the “Third Rome”…”
One of the political forces acting against the EaEU is the “Civil Contract”, whose management board member Arsen Kharatyan, in response to our questions, said, “The management board of the “Civil Contract” had issued a statement and attended a press conference, where it clearly stated its position on the recent developments and our future plans. In our basic document, we have formulated the reasons for not joining the European and Eurasian Unions at this point. We have also mentioned that unless the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not regulated, Armenia should not consider the issue of joining either the European Union or the Eurasian Union.” As for specific actions, according to Arsen Kharatyan, “on October 10, with regard to processes preceding and following it, the “Civil Contract” responds or performs actions based on expediency. For this particular case, no protest action was been discussed, and then after October 10, it was decided to come up with a statement and press conference. As for the issue of irreversibility, I can say that we do not the decisions of integrating to Eurasian Union or any other union or any other decisive decisions made for Armenia by the regime during one night irreversible. In other words, as this so as a number of other decisions can be changed after the regime change.”
Artur Sakunts, Chairman of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor office, is also one of the active participant in various campaigns against joining the Customs Union. In response to our question, he was surprised at why we pay attention to anyone’s words, and added he does not pay attention to the opinions of those who make accusations for their inactivity. “We have presented our being against to accession to the Customs Union during numerous protests, last year, and October 10 was not a surprise for me, personally. We knew that the Agreement should be signed. Our actions with regard to unacceptability to enter into the EaEU will be continued, and it is not caused by anyone’s or any force’s estimates addressed to us. We do not plan our actions with the intention to respond to the words by this-or-that person or a force. I, personally, refrain from paying attention on the factors that no longer exist for me. Today, we have a challenge – an illegitimate government and infamous activities thereby, integrating Armenia to the dictatorship club, and our primary task is to fight against it. It is a process that does not end in one day.”
Melania BARSEGHYAN
