The subject of “Aravot” online “Face to Face” series of talk show is discussed by the President of the Yerevan Press Club Boris Navasardyan and Parliamentarian Samvel Farmanyan (RPA).
Aram Abrahamyan – The Eastern Partnership Summit will take place in Riga on May 21-22, in which Armenia will probably attend at the highest level. But if put our country aside for now, what is planned for the remaining 5 countries?
Boris Navasardyan – A differentiated approach is expected for all countries, and this is probably the biggest difference of the Riga summit from the previous ones. Earlier, the EU was obviously striving to see all six partner countries in the identical field, provide equal opportunities to everyone to develop and deepen the relations with the EU. However, they realized that it is something impossible, and now it is a differentiated approach, hence, everyone expects what is important for itself. For example, a free-visa for Ukraine and Georgia. Ukraine, naturally, also expect a great support in the security and economic spheres. Belarus wants to be left alone, but to proceed by the path of free-visa and have the European Union as a counterweight of its participation in the EaEU. Azerbaijan wants to be viewed as a very important energy partner. Moldova – the EU membership perspective because there are fairly sharp contradictions in Moldova among the segment of the society that strives to Europe and with the segment that believes that Russia is more interesting partner for the country. No matter Moldova is ahead of everyone, in any case, these sentiments are there anyway.
A. A. – A differentiated approach: is it good or bad?
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Samvel Farmanyan – I think in any case it is not only good, but actually a working tool for a variety of reasons. The need for a differentiated approach underlies the history of the Eastern Partnership of the past years and the specifics of individual partner countries. For Armenia, indeed, it is very desirable because Armenia being a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, in fact, today has a special needs for relationship, and luckily, this consciousness exists in Brussels. Some time ago, such predictions were voiced that the door of the Armenia-EU relations is closing. Now, there is this perception that a special relationship really needs to be developed with each country, including Armenia. Now, the entire question is how the new legal base of these relationship will look like, what a deep partnerships it will assume. I think that, given the bipartite political statements both on our side and the official Brussels, it will include all the possible spheres that are of mutual interest. It will have a maximum scope, of course, we always like to repeat distinctly all the directions, which would not contradict the EaEU. My expectations from the Riga Summit are positive from the prospect of political commitment, which can be followed by basic technical negotiations, provision of the negotiating the mandate.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
